Lost in the Imprint
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: EmbryOC. A young woman moves to Forks with her boyfriend and baby nephew, meeting the Pack Alpha with easy friendship. But when Embry Imprints on her, things get more complicated. After all, things in Forks never settle down for long.
1. The Imprint

Summary: Several years after _Breaking Dawn_, Embry finds the girl he loves. And imprints on her. However, Forks never remains peaceful for very long.

Warning: Nothing so far. Well, rated for language.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except OC and plot. There.

I hope anyone who likes OC fics with the shifters enjoys this. It was hard writing Embry, since he doesn't get a large role in the stories, but I do my best. This chapter might be a little abrupt, but it gets things moving. I hope it's not too dramatic or unbelievable.

* * *

It's been a while since Bella married that bloodsucker and, thank Christ, Jacob imprinted on that kid. We were gonna go crazy if he kept all that moping shit up. We're twenty now – the pack – and none of us have left La Push. Why should we? We've got people to protect.

Who's we?

Us. The werewolves of Quileute.

Me. Embry Call.

* * *

"Haley! You coming or what?"

"Yeah, let me just get Jeremy out of the car seat," she sighed, glancing up at her boyfriend of several years. Blowing her wispy bangs out of her gray eyes, Haley picked the year-old boy out of the seat easily and met his smile with a happy one of her own. "I'll bet you're happy to be out of the car now, aren't you? I know…"

"Are you getting in the damn house?" Daniel demanded, propping the door open with his foot. She glanced back over to him and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry," she mumbled, hopping the steps of the front porch and through the screen door. The house was a small, two-story Victorian in Forks, Washington and near La Push, Daniel's childhood home. They had sent furniture ahead, and she was pleased to see that everything was basically put away.

Ignoring her boyfriend's mumbling, the twenty year-old brunette explored the house with her nephew eagerly, a bag slung over her back filled with his toys and various necessary items used when traveling with a baby. It seemed like a nice enough house, and the town seemed to match it. A bit dreary, but she had always liked the rain.

"Why I wanted to move here indeed," she snorted, shaking her head at herself. Jeremy's father couldn't deal with his son at the moment, and she just needed to escape her protective parents. Maybe doing it with Daniel wasn't the best idea, but she'd live.

"Are you done yet? I'm starving," said-Daniel grunted, appearing behind her. She looked up at him in surprise, being only 5'4" to his six feet, and blinked.

"Did you want to eat out?" she asked, but he rolled his eyes.

"You can cook, right? Let's find something and make it," he retorted, and she sighed again. Rolling her shoulders, she followed him down with Jeremy still in tow.

* * *

"Finally, some peace and quiet," she sighed, leaning back in the chair two days later. Her hair fanned out behind her, reaching past her shoulder blades. The sun caught red in her hair, to which she paid no attention to, having called herself a brunette for years. Jeremy was asleep and Daniel had gone to the reservation, leaving her alone for the moment.

Getting to her feet, she stretched and surveyed the main room in satisfaction. The front door led into a large room with couches, chairs, and a television set. Bookcases lined the wall, and the room led into a kitchen on the left side. Before that was a hallway, which one followed to a bathroom, two bedrooms, and the staircase. Upstairs was just another hallway, with two more rooms and another bathroom.

Humming to herself, Haley was glad the house seemed a happy one, light curtains and cushy furniture making it inviting. She had gone grocery shopping earlier, so her kitchen was finally stocked, and wished she had a car so she could go somewhere on her own. Checking the laundry, which was hidden away in the downstairs hall behind folding doors, she shoved the wet towels and clothing into the dryer with ease and checked in on Jeremy. He was sleeping peacefully, as always, and she smiled happily. It was her natural state, happiness, and often got on her boyfriend's nerves. Their room was across from her nephew's, while the two upstairs were still being debated over.

She whirled around when the door slammed, and she saw Daniel stalk into the house obviously mad.

"What's the matter?" she asked, but he only glared at her before stamping upstairs, where his things were hidden away. Sighing, Haley brushed her hair out of her eyes and shook her head.

* * *

"So, what the hell is that all about?" Embry asked curiously, having seen a dark-blue car race away from the reservation moments before. Sam and Emily looked up from their meal, and Sam shook his head in disgust.

"Daniel Ravenback. You don't remember him? He's a year older than you. Moved away from the reservation while all the crap was going on with our shifting. Not a happy kid," he muttered. Embry rolled his eyes and waited.

"He wanted back into the reservation," Emily explained finally, while Sam looked up again with a mouthful of food and appearing confused. "The council said no. He hasn't exactly behaved like a gentleman while on his own, so we've heard, and we don't need anymore trouble around."

"You're telling me," Embry snorted. After everything had settled down, the two packs had merged to the point where Jacob was the undisputed Alpha, Sam taking a grateful backseat to enjoy his new baby and wife.

* * *

"Miss Matier, you can stop apologizing. It's not as if he –"

"I really didn't know he'd do that!" she rambled on nervously, replacing Jeremy back into his playpen. "I would've kept a better eye on him if I thought that! Honest!"

"I'm not going to fire you, so be quiet," Amelia Carrol informed her, hands on her elderly hips. "Just make sure he doesn't go around pulling my cat's tails again, and we'll be fine. Now, there are people up front, so go take care of them while I work on these prescriptions. All right?"

"Thanks, ma'am," Haley said gratefully, nodding as she backed out of the room in the back of the pharmacy. Three more months had passed since her arrival in Forks, and she found she liked the small town very much. It was a little odd sometimes, but she couldn't figure out how and just left it alone. Finding work at the local pharmacy was a godsend, having experience and needing the money, and the old woman let her bring Jeremy along to keep them both company during slow times. She had to walk, Daniel taking the car to his own job at the local tackle store, but she didn't mind the exercise.

Haley hadn't met too many people in Forks, but she preferred to take her time and make her own way instead of forcing herself onto local residents. God forbid she get a reputation as a nosy pencil-pusher. She shuddered briefly at the thought before returning to work.

Pulling her hair into a ponytail, the young woman smiled at the young man who strode through the door. She always expected him to smack his head on the doorframe, but was never disappointed at his grace. Another young man followed him, slightly shorter but still dwarfing her.

"Jacob!" she greeted him with a smile. "Here to pick up your dad's medication again?"

"Why else?" he asked indignantly, and glanced over his shoulder. His friend was wearing as little clothing as possible like Jacob, despite the cool air of fall, and only stared at self-conscious Haley. "This is Embry Call, one of my best buds," he introduced them. Frowning when there was no response from Embry, Jacob let it be.

"Well, here's your dad's stuff," Haley said hastily, a little nervous under the giant's gaze. "Tell him I said hi. I want to meet him one day, remember."

"I know," Jacob agreed good-naturedly, shaking his head. "I'll bring you down to La Push soon. You and the kid too, I promise," he added, making no mention of her boyfriend. Haley had soon noticed the exclusion of Daniel whenever she and Jacob talked, and refrained from asking about. Her relationship was strained to begin with.

"Cool. Just remember, you promised," she said teasingly, shaking his hand. The heat didn't seem to bother her much, and her teeth flashed white against her light tan as she waved them from the pharmacy. Jacob had to drag his friend out, who had seemingly gone into a coma standing up.

* * *

"Who was that?" Embry finally asked, halfway back to La Push.

"Daniel's girlfriend – Haley Matier. She met him in Ohio, and moved back here apparently," Jacob told him, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What was with you, man? You didn't…aw, you did!" he crowed triumphantly, and Embry growled.

"Don't go there, Jake," he warned him, but his friend was laughing too hard to listen.

"You imprinted on her! Finally! Wait 'till I tell the others!"

"Shut up!" the other young man shouted, and Jake looked at him in surprise.

"What's the big deal, man? She's nice enough, and it's about time you found someone. I mean, give me a break. You're getting to be a real crank lately."

"It's not that," Embry muttered through a clenched jaw, but his friend only snickered.

"Yeah right, man. Listen, you go get dad's meds next time. I've suddenly got plans that I can't possibly miss."

"You son of a bitch."

"Yeah, yeah. You'll thank me later," Jacob said, waving his hand dismissively and grinning the entire time. Embry growled again, but was unable to explain his reaction to the girl _other_ than imprinting. Everything had suddenly burst into a million shards of glass before her image came into focus, sharper than ever. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and he'd be damned if Jacob and the others read that from his mind.

* * *

Several weeks found Embry on his way to the pharmacy as promised, growling to himself the entire time. Jacob had supposedly kept his word, but no secrets were safe from his pack and soon anyone who knew about imprinting knew Embry had apparently found his person.

"Driving me fucking crazy," he complained to himself, smacking the steering wheel for good measure. He was normally even-tempered and laid-back, but all the teasing was bound to drive the young man to the edge of his nerves.

Pulling into the lot with tires squealing in protest, he made sure not to slam the door and destroy it and strode into the pharmacy, hoping the girl wouldn't be there.

Fat chance.

"Embry, right?" she checked, and smiled when he nodded reluctantly. "Nice to meet you – again," she amended, holding out a hand. "Haley Matier. I've been in Forks for a few months now. It's nice to finally meet people," she added.

He only grunted in response, shaking her hand for just a second before dropping it, and she shrugged it off.

"Are you here to get Billy's medicine?" she asked, and he nodded. "I heard Jacob was going to be busy," she continued over her shoulder, retrieving the bag and eliciting a growl of frustration from Embry.

"_That bastard covered his ass on this one, damn it."_ He paused when he heard a baby wail, and Haley's heard jerked up so fast that it hit the counter with an audible 'thwack'.

"Ow," she muttered, laughing nervously as she raced to the back room. She reappeared moments later with a baby in her arms, and Embry blanched in horror. She must have grown used to that reaction, because she ignored it. "This is Jeremy, my nephew," she said proudly, cooing at the baby the entire time. "Say hi to Embry, kid," she added encouragingly, earning a gurgle. "Close enough."

"So, he's not…uh…"

"Mine? No, he's my sister's. I'm taking care of him for his dad at the moment – have been for over a year now," she told him calmly. "His dad isn't doing too well."

"What about his mom? Did she move?" Embry asked, but regretted the question when he saw the shadow pass over her face.

"It was a difficult birth," she said simply, and bounced the baby on her hip. "But he's so adorable!" she trilled the next second, obviously delighted with her appointed task. "He's such a sweetie – he hardly every cries. He's always smiles and laughs," she boasted happily, and Embry chuckled.

"I see where he'd get it from," he added, and she looked at him blankly before laughing.

"Oh, you mean me?" Haley asked, and shook her head. "Nah, I'm a cranky old woman. He's like his mom, that's for sure. Got her eyes – see?" She forced Embry to lean in to look at the eyes, which were a rich blue color.

"Beautiful," he managed, a bit out of place with a baby, but she seemed to enjoy his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's just the best thing that ever happened to me. I get carried away some – a lot of the time," she admitted sheepishly, but he shook his head.

"No problem. A friend just had his first kid, and you'd think he was the only father on the planet," Embry confided, and she was clearly thrilled at the news.

"Really! Jacob didn't tell me," she said reproachfully, but he could tell she was laughing. "That big lug. I'll make him pay for not telling me about a baby."

"Are you always this happy?" Embry asked, before he could help himself. Haley paused for a second, and shrugged.

"I try, yeah. I guess so," she decided, as if she had never thought about it before. "Having a happy baby'll do that to you," she added brightly, but Embry had the idea she was like that from time she popped out of her mother. She suddenly flushed, growing suddenly conscious of his gaze on her. "Uhm, was that all?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah. I'm sure you'll see us around," he added over his shoulder, aware that she was the most perfect thing to him in the world. It was disconcerting, and the young man escaped as soon as he was able. Her eyes followed him in confusion, wondering at his suddenly-strange behavior.

* * *

"_So, how'd it go?"_

"_Mind your own damn business, Leah."_

"_Aren't we testy today?"_ Paul snickered, and Embry growled.

"_Calm down. No need to tease him. You two will imprint eventually,"_ Sam reminded them. This chastised them a bit, but not enough for one last prod.

"_So…did you kiss her?"_

With a growl, Embry pounced on Paul to the other's amusement, and the two shifters fought briefly before Jacob intervened with a sigh. Swatting Embry off Paul, he glared at the two of them.

"_Enough,"_ he ordered.

* * *

"Where's your paycheck?" Daniel demanded that evening, and she looked up in surprise.

"In the bank. Where it goes every week. Why?" she asked, but was met with a grunt as he returned to the television set once more. Haley sighed, and the thought of leaving once more crossed her mind. Daniel was not only getting just plain mean, but…but she had nowhere to go at the moment, and not enough money enough.

Shrugging to herself, she rubbed her arm tenderly and rolled over on her side, burying her head in a pillow.

* * *

"Those boys from La Push here yet?" Amelia asked, and Haley turned in surprise.

"No. Why, are they supposed to be?" she checked, but the woman only snorted knowingly.

"They been busy at the reservation, I guess," she muttered. "Lots of new kids turning up and causing trouble. Plenty for them to do."

"I guess," she agreed cautiously, bouncing Jeremy on her hip easily. The baby gurgled happily, and she cooed back at him in a most ridiculous way. Blowing her bangs out of her way once again – they were getting rather long, she noticed – the young woman looked up as a young man called Mike stormed man, looking anything but happy. She recognized him from the tackle shop, and wondered what the matter was.

"Is Daniel here?" he demanded, and she blinked in surprise.

"No. Why?" she asked, but he looked around anyway.

"He hasn't shown up for work yet," he informed her shortly, and she could only stare at him.

"What?" she managed.

"Not shown up," he repeated, and she groaned. She knew Daniel – he was touchy and easily bored. Something probably irritated him and he had decided it was time to move on again.

"I'm sorry. As soon as I see him I'll tell him to show up," she promised, but he waved his hand in an almost-apologetic manner.

"Don't worry about it, ma'am. This is the third time this week we haven't had any notice. So I came here to give him some. Let him know he's got to find a new job," he informed her, before leaving again. Her jaw hanging, Haley could only groan at her bad luck. Once more the only provider for the so-called family was _not_ something she was looking forward to.

* * *

"And what were you thinking?" she demanded, Jeremy safely in bed. "You were the one who wanted to move here! You said you had friends! I haven't seen a single one, and now you just decide to escape your job again?" she continued angrily, hands on her hips as she confronted the big man.

"You've hardly got a right to speak to me like that," he growled. "At least people know me here. Half the town and reservation thinks that little brat's your little bastard. And I sure ain't telling them it's mine to save face!"

"You bastard!" she retorted in shock. "I dropped everything to help you out, and this is what I get?"

"It's what you deserve!" he snapped, his hand flashing out. It connected with her cheek with a stinging ring, and he backpedaled awkwardly towards their room. "Now, just keep working and bringing the money in," he threatened, slamming the door shut. Staring after him, holding her cheek, Haley jumped when she heard Jeremy wail and rushed into the room.

* * *

"Are you doing all right, girl?" Amelia asked suspiciously a week later, and Haley smiled. It wasn't her usual bright grin, but seemed a little too tight and tired for the old woman. The girl had a colorful scarf tied lightly around her throat, which seemed appropriate due to the chill in the air.

"Just a little tired, but there's just a lot going on," Haley replied quickly, shifting through paperwork. "Jeremy's starting to teeth. He doesn't cry a lot, but he wakes up a lot. I have a lot to do at home."

"You eating right?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I promise! You feed me enough here that you shouldn't have to worry about that," she reminded the woman, who only snorted before returning back to work.

"That old bat feeds you?" Jacob asked in disbelief, striding through the door in his customary lope. As she grew friendlier with the La Push boys – the ones she knew – Haley began to wonder if they all had that lope that reminded her of a wolf.

"Of course!" she replied indignantly. "Even though I bring lunch anyway."

"Hmph. You're too skinny," Amelia informed her, and she sighed in frustration. While not fat, she was certainly not skinny, and any mention of her weight normally aggravated her anyway.

"Too skinny my ass," Jacob chuckled, and she glared at him. "More to love in my opinion, right, Embry?" he asked with a wink, as his friend came into the store. To Haley's surprise, a growling noise came from the young man, but Jacob only laughed at him.

"How's the kid?" Embry asked curiously, and Haley flashed a huge smile at him as she rushed to get him. Embry and Jacob never failed to ask, a fact which easily delighted her. Any chance to show him off almost brought on a stroke from happiness.

"Wonderful! He's finally started teething – see? Two teeth already!" she exclaimed, thrusting the baby at them with complete trust as they took him in their huge, hot hands. The baby didn't seem to mind the heat either, just like his aunt, and just laughed as they made faces at him.

"Just like any man. Give them a baby and they turn into goo," Amelia said tolerantly, and they glanced at her in annoyance.

"Are not!" Jacob retorted, but sighed as Embry waggled a finger over the laughing baby. "Well…all right, stop picking on us," he muttered, but Haley laughed as she took the baby back.

"Aw. You guys are so cute with babies," she said teasingly. "I can't wait until you have your own. I can't imagine you as fathers. Maybe as doormats…" she mused, and giggled at their expressions – a mixture of amusement and pain. "But isn't he such a wonderful baby? I mean, he hardly ever cries even when it must hurt," she continued, and Embry smiled at the picture of baby obsession. Jacob caught the look and coughed knowingly, and Embry quickly glared at him before folding his arms and staring at the ceiling. Haley was oblivious, and Amelia shook her head in amusement.

"I assume you're here to get Billy's stuff?" she asked, as Haley was currently preoccupied.

"Of course. Why do you even ask?" Jacob finally asked, but she smirked.

"Keeps you line, having to answer to an old woman."

"You old bat."

* * *

"What's the matter now?" Haley asked with a sigh, sitting in front of the television with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. Daniel stalked into the room and stood over her, arms crossed angrily.

"What do you think you're doing, talking to those La Push assholes?"

"I thought_ you_ were a La Push asshole," she replied carelessly, glancing up at him. "And they're friendly. Why be a bitch?"

"They're the ones who won't let us on the reservation," he informed her sternly, but she only shrugged.

"So? I like this house. Big deal if we can't live on the reservation."

"That's not the point!" he shouted. "The point is that they threw me out of my own land! Like a dog!"

"I can't say I'm surprised," she replied unsympathetically, and yelped when he dragged her to her feet.

"Who the hell gave you permission to talk to me like that?" he demanded, but she only glared at him.

"I did, you asshole," she hissed back, yanking her arm free. "Get the hell out of this house. If I see you around here again, I'll call the cops. Better yet, I'll call that La Push gang over to deal with your sorry ass."

"And what about that little bastard? You gonna support him all yourself?" he asked. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the mention of Jeremy, and she pushed him towards the door with sudden strength.

"Stay away from my baby, or I'll kill you myself," she promised, her voice a raspy whisper. Intent on shoving him towards the door, she didn't notice when he moved his own hand.


	2. The Friendship

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Wow! Overwhelming response - for me - considering this story is only a few hours old. I'm on a roll, and have so much I want to put into this story, I'm really making an effort not to just pack it all in. That's not good writing, in my opinion. So, I hope you all enjoy more Embry Love!, as was the rally cry from last chapter.

* * *

"Where's Haley?" Embry asked curiously, as he and Jacob dropped by the pharmacy two days later for a visit. Amelia glanced over at them, something like relief crossing her face.

"Oh, I'm glad you two are here. Their phone was never hooked up, so I can't call her. She hasn't been here the past two days. Can one of you stop by and make sure she isn't sick?" she asked. Jacob's eyes narrowed – news had reached La Push of Daniel's midnight escape from Forks two nights ago, and Embry sensed his mood immediately.

"Sure, not a problem," Jacob agreed, keeping his voice neutral. He and Embry strode from the store quickly, and he glanced at his brother cautiously. "Don't go snapping, man. We don't even know what happened."

"I'm _fine_," he snapped, getting into the passenger seat with a growl.

* * *

As they pulled up to the house, they noticed nothing seemed out of place and jogged to the front door quickly. Jacob knocked on the door, careful not to put a hole through it, while Embry peeked through a window.

"Haley? You there?" he called. Sometimes it was a pain protecting La Push, and occasionally Forks, but Haley was Embry's imprint, which made her important to the Pack as well, no matter what went on. They heard footsteps, and backed away from the door as she opened it.

"Yeah, I'm here. What're you guys doing here?" she asked in surprise, and jumped visibly when a growl ripped from Embry at the sight of her. Her wrist was in a bandage, and a colorful bruise was on her left temple. Jacob gripped his arm to keep him from phasing, and practically dragged him in the house after Haley.

"What the hell happened?" the Alpha demanded, his own hackles raised at the obvious reason of Daniel's leaving.

"I threw him out," she replied calmly, shrugging a bit. "He didn't like it. I broke his arm, though, so it wasn't too bad," she added cheerfully, and their jaws dropped simultaneously.

"What?"

"I broke his arm. I was on the ground – he hit me," she added unnecessarily, and Embry tensed at the words. "He went to get Jeremy, and I guess I snapped. I jumped him and broke his arm," she admitted a bit sheepishly, and blinked when Jacob howled with laughter.

"What's so funny?" Embry demanded quietly, but he only shook his head.

"He deserved it," the young man managed through his chuckles, but another glance at Haley's injuries sobered him. He could only imagine what he'd feel like if someone hurt Nessie, and was sympathetic to Embry's feelings. "If you hear from him, let us know. He's ours to deal with," he promised her, and she nodded.

"I'm not in the mood to go beating on anymore guys anyway," she said with a shrug. Jacob got to his feet, patting her good shoulder lightly before taking a step back, Embry's glare enough warning.

"Well, we'll let Amelia know you're all right. Get a phone hooked up, for Christ's sake," he added with a groan. "It's been over four months now."

"I know, I know. I just never get the time," she replied with a grin, getting to her feet. "I've got to cancel Jeremy's doctor's appointment Thursday now, since I don't have a car. And I can't walk all the way to Seattle," she said with a grimace.

"How'd you make the appointment if you don't have a phone in the first place?" Embry asked in confusion, and she flashed a smile at him, unaware of the effect she had on him.

"Amelia's phone," she said simply, and they both nodded.

"I'll take you," Embry volunteered suddenly, as the boys made their way out of the house. Haley looked at him in surprise, and was so delighted she hugged him impulsively. Jacob tensed as Embry stiffened dangerously, but the shifter patted her on the head gingerly as he inhaled her scent.

"_She smells clean…like cut grass and peppermint,"_ he thought, and blanched as he felt himself about to phase. Rushing down the steps, he disappeared into the trees in a flash, leaving a confused Haley behind.

"Uhm…"

"He's never been one for hugs. You embarrassed the crap out of him," Jacob said teasingly, poking her arm lightly. "Now he's going to be a whiny old man the rest of the week."

"Sorry," she apologized, at ease once more. Jacob sensed Embry's phase and decided to let him blow off some steam before patrol that night.

"No problem. And get a phone installed!" he called to her, pulling away from the house. She waved at him cheerfully, apparently at ease despite recent events.

* * *

"_You okay, man?"_ Seth asked with concern, as Embry joined the group for patrol that night. The wolf shot him a glare, but didn't deign to respond. Seth shrugged it off, but Paul snickered.

"_Don't go phasing in front of her. I don't think she'd like Fluffy much,"_ he taunted, and Jacob pinned Embry down before the wolf could attack.

"_Would you shut the fuck up and give the guy some space?"_ Leah demanded, to the surprise of everyone. Paul stared at her for a moment before flattening his ears, looking slightly abashed and most definitely shocked. Smirking, she trotted over to Embry and shoved Jake off him with a grunt. _"Don't worry, we'll cool it."_

"_Just don't go tracking the asshole without us,"_ Quil demanded, and the entire Pack grinned at the idea. _"I mean, we're sure as hell not missing out on that much fun."_

"_I hate every one of you, you know that?"_ Embry muttered, but couldn't hide his gratefulness from their meld. Snorting, Paul shot ahead with Seth on their patrol, deciding running and _then_ laughing was the best thing to do.

* * *

Haley yawned and stretched her arms and legs out in a cat-like manner before pushing her alarm off the bedstand with her usual carelessness. She enjoyed having the large bed to herself, especially since she was able to keep all the blankets to herself.

"Oh crap…" she groaned, seeing what time it was. She had forgotten to put her alarm forward to account for Embry's driving them that day and didn't have too much time. Muttering to herself sleepily, she shuffled to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, the cold water waking her up.

Drying off minutes later, she managed to pull on her black underwear, bra, and lavender turtleneck before hearing Jeremy moving around. Dashing into his room, she smiled as he cooed happily at her.

"You're more of a morning person than I am," she informed him with a grin. "Don't worry, my laziness will become a bad influence as soon as you can walk. Trust me." Dressing him in clothes warm enough for the weather outside – one glance revealed a light dusting of snow on the ground – she was about to return him to the crib when the doorbell rang. Forgetting about her current state of dress, she rushed from the room with Jeremy still on her hip and flung open the door to see Embry waiting, wearing nothing but jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt.

"Oh, hi!" she said brightly, as he swallowed thickly. "Sorry, I forgot to reset my alarm and I'm still getting ready," she apologized. He opened his mouth to reply, and a strangled sort of noise escaped instead. Clearing his throat, he tried again.

"No problem. I'll take Jeremy so you can get dressed," he hinted, reaching for the baby. She handed him over easily before running off again, and he sighed.

"Your aunt is going to do me in," he confided to the baby, who gurgled happily and pulled Embry's shoulder-length hair. He didn't even wince, and instead grinned down at the happy person on his lap.

Haley returned several minutes later, having put jeans, sneakers, and light makeup on. She pulled on a fitted black coat that reached her knees before reaching for Jeremy, but he shook his head.

"Nah. Get your purse, I'll put his coat on," he offered, and she nodded.

"Don't forget his mittens. And hat!" she called, going into the kitchen to fetch said purse, along with a baby bag. Embry relieved her of the large bag without a word, and she took Jeremy from him with a laugh.

"Aren't you so cute?" she cooed, her nephew in a bright red hat and mittens. Embry rolled his eyes in amusement before realizing something.

"I don't have a car seat," he began, but she waved at him dismissively.

"Don't worry, Daniel still has the car seat in the car, that idiot," she told him, and the look of confusion plainly asked how that helped. "I've got a spare. I put it on the dryer when I do laundry – it helps Jeremy take a nap," she explained patiently, and he nodded.

"Oh."

"If you can grab it, I'll lock up," she suggested, and he complied without protest.

"_She could ask me to change his diaper and I wouldn't say a word,"_ he thought with a sigh, abhorring diaper duty ever since Quil forced Claire on him. Apparently, the shifter wasn't allowed to change his imprint's diapers, something that made no sense to any of the Pack. But, rules were rules to them.

Hefting it to his shoulder easily, he returned to find Haley waiting outside for him, keys in hand.

"If you can get it in the back seat – facing the rear windshield – I'll lock up," she ordered, bouncing Jeremy on hip absently as if a habit. He nodded obediently, and she met him at the car in seconds. "Looks good," she admitted, surveying the black two-door car. "Where'd you get it?"

"A junk pile," he replied with a grin. "Me and the guys like fixing up cars. Jake's a genius at it. It was a present from them for my birthday last year."

"Wow. Wish someone would get me a car," she joked, and shook her head. "But I'd get fat from no exercise, so never mind," she added teasingly, securing Jeremy in his seat and sliding in next to Embry. "Do you know where to go?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I asked Quil. Claire goes to the same pediatrician, so it's all good," he replied, and she looked at him.

"Who's Claire?"

"Quil's Im-Jake's niece," he checked himself quickly, and she didn't seem to notice. Embry made an effort to keep from speeding as he was used to – bloodsuckers weren't the only ones who liked fast cars – and managed to keep it below ninety once they hit the highway. He stole glances at Haley every few seconds, and she either didn't notice or was too wrapped up in turning around and checking on Jeremy to notice.

* * *

"I hate waiting rooms," she griped, and he laughed at her expression.

"I was wondering if there was anything that put you in a bad mood," he joked, and she glared up at him before cracking a grin.

"Of course! I'm not some robot," she replied, bouncing Jeremy on her lap. "I need to use the bathroom – hold him, please," she requested suddenly, plopping the baby onto Embry's lap and heading towards the bathroom without another word. He blinked in surprise, and occupied himself with making faces at the boy until she returned.

"What was that about?"

"I really shouldn't have drank that coffee," she said without elaboration, and he snorted. He decided to hold onto Jeremy for a bit, something which seemed to delight Haley. She watched them while laughing, and turned when the nurse finally called her name.

"Want me to wait here?" he asked, getting to his feet to hand the baby over.

"Sure. We shouldn't be long," she agreed, gesturing to her purse and the baby tote. "Watch those."

"Yes, mon capitaine," Embry shot back with a grin, mock-saluting as she followed the nurse into the back.

* * *

"Healthy as a horse," Haley said in satisfaction, as Embry was stuck carrying the bag back to the car after almost an hour of waiting. "Not surprising. Except for chicken pox, his mom and I never got sick a day in our lives."

"Was she your older sister?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to hurt her, but she shook her head calmly.

"No. She was sixteen when she had him. Our parents are rather…intolerant," she told him, settling Jeremy in and then buckling herself. "I suppose that's a nice way of putting it. His father's a good kid, but too young. And his parents are no good at all. So, I took him."

"That's an amazing thing to do," Embry complimented her, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Is it? He's my sister's baby, after all. I couldn't let him be adopted and escape my evil aunt clutches," she said with a laugh. "I mean, just think of all the ways I can corrupt him!"

"Yeah, I mean, who wants a kid to grow up happy and loved and cheerful?" Embry agreed sarcastically, waving his hand dramatically. "We all know kids these days are supposed to be jaded, cynical brats." He paused when he saw a look on her face, and a frown instantly crossed his. What did he say to bring that look in her eyes? "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously, but she shook her head with a shaky smile.

"Nothing at all, Embry," she reassured him. "Just…thanks. For that vote of confidence. It's been pretty damn hard the past year, you know?"

"I believe it," he agreed, a bit relieved but now angry at what she must have gone through just to love her own nephew. "You've got us now – we're like a big, annoying family," he told her cheerfully, and she peered at him in confusion.

"Who's us?"

"Huh? The gang, of course!" he replied indignantly, and she blinked.

"I've only met you and Jacob. Why would they care about me?" she asked honestly, and he had to see her point. Except she didn't know a shifter's Imprint was second-to-none to the shifter, and the Pack only second to their own Imprinted.

"Yeah, but Jacob's kinda the leader of our gang," he said, trying to explain in a way that didn't sound stalker-ish and creepy. "And you live here now."

"In Forks, not La Push," she reminded him, and he shrugged while making a dismissive noise.

"Big deal," he informed her calmly. "The others'll love you, promise. Besides, they're suckers for babies."

"_Only not love too much,"_ he thought warningly, having already had a certain discussion with the other Pack members on how they were to treat Haley once they met her. Or rather, what they _weren't_ supposed to do. They already knew the main rule from experience anyway – no over-familiarity and there'd be no throats ripped out.

* * *

"I'm beginning to regret taking you out for lunch," Haley lamented, as the shifter consumed enough food to easily sustain five grown men. "I should've just got your gas."

"Hey, hey, I'll pay for my share," he protested, waving his hand calmly. He had suggested a small restaurant he knew of, cheap and nice. "We all eat. Emily's used to cooking a lot."

"Who's Emily?" she asked curiously, handing Jeremy another bottle absently.

"Sam's wife. Sam's one of the gang," he explained, refraining from using the term 'Pack' just yet. "She's the one who just had the baby."

"Boy or girl?" she asked eagerly, and he was taken aback for a second.

"Uh…girl. Her name's Rose."

"That's such a pretty name," Haley said wistfully, and Embry grinned at her.

"I think your name's plenty pretty too. It reminds me of Halley's Comet – something wonderful and sparkling," he said a bit wistfully, and turned red underneath his copper skin when he saw her expression. "Uh, sorry, didn't mean to get all mushy," he apologized, but she laughed it off.

"That's actually what my dad named me after. I was his untouchable baby girl, and Christ in Heaven help whatever guy tried to be friendly," she said with a chuckle. "I swear, I think you're a mind-reader."

"No, that's Edward," he muttered under his breath, and grinned when he saw her peering at him. "It's nothing. If you're done, we can get back before it gets dark."

"That sounds like a plan," she agreed, beginning to get her wallet. She narrowed her eyes when money was suddenly on the table, and folded her arms stubbornly. "What was the agreement?"

"Deal's off. This counts as a date," Embry told her teasingly, and her jaw dropped open in amazement.

"Not fair!" she protested, but surprised him by not arguing about the date aspect. "I mean, you snuck that one up on me."

"All right, all right, next time you can pay," he said agreeably, ignoring the appraising look of the waitress as he peered at Haley intently, trying to memorize every inch of her face.

"No, that's not fair since you tricked me," she shot back calmly, lifting Jeremy out of the booster seat. "You can just pay the next time, so there. And be on diaper duty for a week."

"Oh, c'mon!" he protested, following her to the car with his – figurative – tail between his legs. "Not that! Anything but that! _Please_?"

"You can stop giving me those puppy eyes, because they won't work," Haley informed him primly, finishing strapping a happily-gurgling Jeremy into his car seat. "I grew up with my sister giving me that look all the time, sorry."

Embry grumbled half-heartedly under his breath, and rolled his eyes in mock despair.

* * *

"So, she's coming over tomorrow?" Emily asked that night, amusement obvious in her tone as she held her tiny baby in her arms. Sam constantly tried to steal Rose from her, but a _look_ was all it took to cow the shifter.

"Tomorrow night," he corrected, lounging on the couch next to Jacob and Quil. "Unless you mind," he added, backtracking quickly. He kicked Paul in the back of the head as the young man snickered, eliciting a snarl.

"I don't mind," the woman said, interrupting the ensuing fight. "Is she bringing her nephew?"

"They're inseparable," he told her with a nod, and a weak grin.

"You're like a whipped mutt," Seth said with a sigh, shaking his head in mock despair. "Poor guy. I hope I never Imprint."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Sam said casually, trying to grab Rose and sighing when Emily evaded his grasp.

"God help us all when he does," Leah added, avoiding a half-hearted swipe from her brother with a grin.

"I think it'd be nice to meet her," Kim said, volunteering her opinion from the safety of Jared's lap. "I mean, I've heard some about her. She seems like she's a nice woman."

"I dunno. Fluffy's so pathetic around her, maybe she's some domineering ruler of the world," Quil snickered, and yelped when Embry punched him in the arm. "Hey!"

"We need more girls in this place," Emily said mockingly, sharing a wink with Leah. Collin and Brady high-fived each other at the thought of more girls to torment, earning sighs from Sam.

"There are too many damn kids here to begin with," he began to complain, but was silenced when Emily dropped Rose into his lap. He instantly shifted to a doting, obsessed father mode the others had learned to both know and fear.

"What were you saying?" Jacob asked, trying not to snort from laughing.

"I think it might be nice to meet Embry's Imprint," he said absently, handing his daughter a bottle.

They couldn't help it – the entire Pack began howling with laughter, causing Emily to clap her hands over her ears in protest. Rose whimpered, and Sam shot to his feet, daughter in his wife's lap.

"_OutI_!" he roared, and clothes dropped to the floor as the young adults shot through the door, phasing as soon as they were outside. Slapping his face in exasperation, Sam followed suit, going after whoever was dumb enough to lag behind to laugh.

* * *

"Do you think you brought enough?" Embry asked in shock, seeing the folding playpen and huge tote bag Haley had packed. She gave him a resentful look, and he quickly capitulated. "Never mind, it looked like more from far away," he corrected, moving two more inches closer. It actually looked like more close up, but he'd be damned if he said anything.

"Sorry. I get a little crazy," she apologized. "I just want to make sure he won't get in the way and break something."

"Does he do that?"

"Well, no, but,"

"Then don't worry about. It's all baby-proofed anyway," he told her with a shrug, and she stared enviously as he hefted the load to his shoulders as if they weighed next to nothing. "Come on. You look nice, by the way," he added appraisingly, and she turned red.

"I didn't overdo something, did I?" she asked anxiously, and he grinned at her question. Sneakers, faded jeans, and a sapphire-colored figure-hugging baby-doll blouse that hung to her calves was hardly overdoing it with the Pack. Well, the girls at least, considering the males ran around half-naked anyway.

"No. You look gorgeous, plain, and cute," he assured her, and she wrinkled her nose at him.

"I never know whether you're complimenting me or teasing me," she complained, and he shrugged.

"Sorry."

"No you're not!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes. She was pleased she and Embry had such an easy friendship, and obviously had no idea the Imprint was a large part of it.

"No, I'm not," he agreed, shutting his door. "Now, get in the car so I can turn the heat on. Don't want the pup getting cold."

"No!" Haley jumped into the car almost as fast as a shifter could move – when it involved Jeremy, her speed impressed Embry, who considered it pretty damn fast for a human – and shut her own door. "Don't you get cold?" she asked, and he shook his head. "Silly question, I know how hot you are," she amended, and he shot a wolfish smirk her way.

"Why, thank you!"

"N-not that way! You arrogant male," she muttered under her breath, blushing again. Embry only flashed a white grin her way as he revved the engine.

* * *

Seth was waiting on the porch, along with Collin and Brady – if they were wolves, Embry would swear their tails would be wagging in anticipation.

"Seth, Collin, and Brady," he told her as they got out of the car, pointing to each in turn. "They're the kids of the group. Like kid brothers," he explained, but stopped as they rushed over.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. Hope Embry's on his best behavior around you. He can be a real dog sometimes," Seth began, and whimpered when Embry backhanded him.

"Seth!"

"Nice to meet you," Haley managed between giggles, Jeremy shaking in her arms because of them. "I'm Haley, and this is my nephew Jeremy."

"We've heard a lot about you," Brady said slyly, dodging Embry this time. Collin remained wisely silent, but burst out laughing as a howl burst from the forest.

"What was that? A wolf?" she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Just a lousy mutt that hangs around," Embry muttered, recognizing Quil's laughing bark.

"I like dogs," she offered, a remark which was too much for the three youngest shifters. She looked at them in confusion as they fell on the ground, rolling and holding onto their sides, only pausing when Embry kicked Seth in the ribs.

"Get up and help me!" he ordered furiously, and Seth obliged by laughing at him some more before rushing off in a blur.

"I like them," Haley said, to Embry's great surprise – and relief.


	3. The Kiss

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

First off all, the scene of Seth married to Barbie is in honor of Krum Cake's story, **Well, This Sucks: Life According to Seth**. Go read it, it's awesome. Now, there's lots of action, some things start to happen, and they kiss! So go read this too.  
Seth is going to make more appearences, since I think his characters goes great with them, and I hope Haley's reactions to everything makes sense and doesn't just seem dumb or sometihng.

* * *

"It's nice to finally meet you," Emily greeted the young woman with a smile, shaking her hand and simultaneously prying her loose from four shifters at the same time. "Jacob and Embry have made you sound like a very nice young woman."

"Oh, they lied," Haley said cheerfully. Paul snickered, and dodged a blow from Jacob.

"I doubt it. They've been raised better," Emily began, before Leah snorted in amusement. Haley grinned at this outburst, and Embry was relieved to see that Haley was apparently accepted into the Pack. Jared and Kim had yet to arrive, but the others were more than making up for their absence.

"_It's not surprising. She's an Imprint – I'd be shocked if they didn't accept her,"_ Emily thought, watching as the young woman was dragged into an argument over who got the little car in the Monopoly game they had started. Game night was a _bad_ idea – scratch that, BAD idea. Ten werewolves trying to play fair was not to be expected.

Embry hovered over Haley nervously, trying to keep the others from jostling her, and jumped in surprise when she cheerfully elbowed Quil out of her way so she could sit down.

"Women and children first," she informed him with a grin, as he reluctantly moved over to make room, edging Jacob off the couch as a result.

"Hey!" the Alpha protested, as he was dumped onto the floor.

"I apparently need to buy more furniture," Emily decided with a sigh, and smiled as Sam appeared with Rose. Haley had glanced at Emily's scar briefly, but having dealt with her own demons she knew better than to look.

"She's _adorable_!" she squealed, leaving a confused Seth with Jeremy as she rushed over to coo over the new baby. Her reaction earned her Sam's instant approval and lifelong devotion in an instant, but he was still reluctant to release his child until Emily cleared her throat pointedly.

"Uh…what do I do with him?" Seth called, clearly frightened by the giggling baby in his lap who was trying to eat his forefinger.

"Let him eat your finger. He'll be happy," she replied cheerfully, enjoying the panicked expression on the boy's face far too much – even though they all looked in their mid-twenties to begin with. She was clearly at ease with the Pack, having left her precious baby with them alone and was something the others noticed immediately.

"But…he's got teeth," the shifter whimpered, and Leah snickered at her brother's plight.

"She's got the most beautiful eyes," Haley praised the baby, seeing the corners of her chocolate-brown eyes crinkle as she laughed. Sam puffed out proudly, and Emily smiled.

"It's time for her bottle, actually," she said, taking her child from the young woman. "What about Jeremy? Does he need anything?"

"I fed him before we left," she admitted. "Although I'm sure he'll need another one soon. He's got such an appetite – I think I'm going to have to abandon my bottles soon," she added ruefully, and Emily nodded sympathetically.

"The appetite sounds like the gang's here," she said, gesturing to the boys. The entire Pack had been asked to refrain using the 'Pack' term to avoid complicating matters, and for once, they were actually listening. "They never stop eating."

"I gathered," Haley agreed, having seen the mounds of dishes, full or dirty, scattered around the kitchen.

* * *

"Yes, I traveled the world," Haley said dramatically, as Collin snickered. "Paris, Rome, Venice – and all in the same country!" she added brightly, and Sam shook his head patiently.

"I knew you were pulling our leg."

"I'm not!" she protested cheerfully. They had eaten constantly over the following two hours and the shifters were lounging about the house, half-naked in their usual manner. Leah was curled up in a chair to herself, while Paul joined Jacob, Collin and Brady on the floor to try to figure out the least-obvious way to cheat at Monopoly. Sam and Emily were in a chair together, as were Embry and Haley, while Quil was stretched out on the back of the couch behind them with his head resting on Haley's shoulder. That had caused some growls at first, but a surprised Embry fell silent when she slapped his arm lightly. Seth was at Haley's feet, apparently having decided to latch onto her, while the two babies were in the playpen together.

"Oh, quit picking on her," Embry joined in.

"I don't need you to defend me," she said in a huff, her pretense of annoyance transparent to everyone but the suddenly-cowering shifter. "They're cities down south," she explained. "We went to visit some cousins in Georgia and passed through them all. I'm well-traveled," she said with a smirk, ignoring the whimpering Embry.

"Obviously, those settlers had no imagination," Emily commented, and Jacob barked a laugh.

"Or they were all really stupid."

"That's probably it," Paul agreed, legs crossed at what looked like an uncomfortable angle.

"So, the settlers of early America were idiots. That explains a lot," Leah mused, tapping her finger on her chin thoughtfully. "I mean, why the hell else does a place like California exist anyway? Damn dopey tourists."

"Everyone's too tan and blond. They look like Barbie and Ken, multiplied by a thousand," Brady said helpfully, and Seth clapped his hands over his ears and howled in pain.

"_No_! Not that! Anything but that!" he whimpered, painful memories of Claire marrying him to Barbie haunting him. Sam prodded him with his foot, and he obediently fell silent – for the moment.

"Anyone want brownies?" Emily suggested. At this, all nine shifters present rushed from one room to the other, accompanied by much yelling and occasional swearing.

"That's one way to clear a room," Haley managed in shock, she and Emily the only ones left.

"It works every time," the woman said in satisfaction, and Haley grinned, having great respect for this woman who could control a gang that resembled a wild pack of animals. Silence suddenly settled in the kitchen, but Emily waved at her when she got up nervously.

"They're eating," she explained, and the other female nodded in understanding. The silence only lasted several moments, however. In the next second, a girl burst through the door, her hair a mess and sobbing hysterically.

"It's…Jared!" she managed, as the Pack was suddenly there. "We were on our way. He said he smelled one of them, and he took off. I heard him howling, and…and…"

"Goddamnit," Jacob growled, and clothes were on the floor. The Alpha was followed by Leah and Quil, Collin and Brady stripping seconds later and rushing from the house as well. Sam was trying in vain to calm the girl, while Embry cast a worried look at Haley, who was understandably confused and frightened.

"It's all right. We'll be back. Emily?" he asked, but the woman shooed him out the door.

"I'll stay here," Seth said, and his reasons didn't need to be spoken aloud. The last of the Pack disappeared in seconds, leaving a surprisingly-small pile of clothing on the floor, a shocked Haley, a grim Emily and Seth, and sobbing Kim. Not to mention two babies.

"Um…should I be going?" Haley finally managed to ask, her voice almost a whisper as Emily led Kim to another room. Seth glanced back at her, and his eyes widened in shock.

"No!" he snapped, shaking his head. She jumped at his tone, and he rested his hand on her arm heavily. "Trust us, Haley. Please," he said, giving her the puppy eyes. It was probably the only time that face worked on Haley.

* * *

Not much time passed – maybe thirty minutes – but it seemed longer when Sam finally stalked through the door, hackles raised.

"Motherfucking newborns…" he growled, but stopped when he saw Haley on the couch, whispering quietly to her nephew. Seth hovered protectively near a window, and Kim was still with Emily. "Jared's fine," he announced, and sobs of relief could be suddenly heard. "A little worse for wear, but okay," he sighed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"What was it?" Seth pressed, but the man shot him a warning look. The shifter grumbled to himself half-heartedly, and perked up when Embry and Jacob arrived, both looking rather tired. Neither looked in the best of moods, and Haley got to her feet hesitantly.

"If I can pick up the stuff later, I'll just take Jeremy home," she began, and winced at Embry's tight grip on her arm – when he had been across the room less than a second ago.

"No," he growled. "You're not walking home."

"I'm not?" she repeated in amazement, trying to pull free and frowning when she couldn't even more her arm. Seth saw Embry's face and pulled Haley free, staring down the growling shifter.

"No, you're not," Sam agreed, striding in the room to defuse the situation before Seth got his throat ripped out. "There were some problems with some punks. They jumped Jared – Seth will walk you home, and he'll stay over for the night if you don't mind."

"But –"

"I'll go," Embry said firmly, but Sam shook his head. Dragging the young man into the kitchen, he growled softly in his ear.

"You want to go off with her alone, pissed off like you are?" he demanded. "You can't control yourself. Let Seth go, and take tonight to patrol with the others. Let some steam out when you find those leeches."

Embry stared at him for a long moment while Sam wondered if he was going to have to subdue the shifter, but he suddenly nodded with a low sigh. "All right."

"We'll get going, then," Seth called from the other room, having heard the conversation. "And I'll get this stuff," they heard him inform Haley, while he apparently picked up the playpen and bag with ease. "Come on."

There was silence from the young woman, and the shifters present felt slightly guilty.

"You can't go much longer without explaining something," Sam muttered, and Embry glared at him in response before phasing and rushing from the house, apparently to track the two until they reached the house.

* * *

"So, what's going on?" Haley demanded, as she struggled to keep up with Seth in the street. They hadn't even left La Push yet, and it was obvious the boy in front of her was anxious about something.

"Just what Sam said," he replied evenly, but she frowned.

"I'm not stupid. What was with the stripping?" she pointed out, Jeremy firmly in her arms. "What's going on?"

"Embry will explain," Seth began, desperately trying to get out of the question and leave it for her shifter to deal with. It was his fault, anyway. "Tomorrow. Right now, we just have to get back to your house. Why'd you have to live in Forks, anyway?" he grumbled, wishing she was safely locked away in La Push at the moment.

"Because," she retorted snidely, having heard the comment. Seth knew from the Pack's thoughts that newborns had attacked Jared and Kim on the way to La Push – four newborns, with no other leech in sight. Which presented several frightening possibilities to the shifters.

Several minutes passed, with Seth scanning the forest around them and sensing Embry close by. The others had split up in pairs to track the bloodsuckers and were scattered around the area. Haley gasped when Seth suddenly disappeared from her sight and shrieked when Jeremy was ripped from her arms.

"I've got him," he hissed, the baby tucked under one arm. The other burdens lay on the ground, forgotten, and the shifter's hair rose on end. "I smell them. Fuck," he growled, having hoped to at least gotten out of La Push before anything happened.

"Smell who? What are you talking about?" Haley demanded, frightened out of her mind. Something in the air seemed wrong to her, and the gang's behavior – especially the easygoing Seth's now – was only making everything worse.

"Be quiet," he growled, and stiffened when two figures were suddenly in front of Haley, both with pure-white skin and crimson eyes. "Get the fuck back to whatever hole you crawled out of," he ordered, and heard a strangled gasp from Haley. Seth almost grinned when he saw Embry stalk out of the forest, his huge wolf form dwarfing the female. His fur was on end, and he padded as close to Haley as he could.

"Aw, we just wanted to have some fun," of the males sighed. "After all, we were sent to wipe you mangy wolves out of existence."

"By who?" Seth snapped, but they only smirked at him.

"So, she's an Imprint?" the other asked conversationally, and Haley whimpered as their gazes rested on her. "I see," he continued, smiling menacingly. Embry's jaw snapped shut threateningly, and his eyes narrowed when Jacob yelled his head.

"_Leah and Sam found the other bastards! I'm on my way, hold them off!"_ It was unnecessary to tell Embry to keep Haley and Jeremy safe, as that was top priority. The taller vampire licked his lips in anticipation, and it was Haley's turn to stiffen when their eyes rested on Jeremy, who was half-hidden in Seth's arms.

"I see. He smells rather delicious as well," he murmured. Haley's fists clenched at her side, and confusion was put aside the second she realized they were including Jeremy.

"You stay away from him," she hissed, taking an involuntary step away from Embry.

"Or what? You're going to stop me, sweety?" The first to speak chuckled in amusement, and Seth yelped when Haley was suddenly lifted into the air, the other vampire's hand around her throat. "Fat chance."

The sound of his Imprint gasping for air was the last straw for Embry, and he flung himself at the leech. Haley was knocked to the ground by Seth, who shoved Jeremy at her before phasing himself, keeping her on the ground underneath him with a paw.

The bloodsucker hissed in pain as Embry sliced his arm off and writhed on the ground as the shifter pinned him, a wolfish grin showing his gleaming teeth. The second newborn decided to go after the humans present, but screamed when a figure came out of the trees and hurled it across the street with one swipe of its paw.

Haley began to hyperventilate, seeing what looked like vampires and werewolves fighting while one was practically laying on top of her and Jeremy, and groaned when everything began to spin. The wolf looked at her in concern, and then seemed almost relieved right before she fainted.

* * *

"Revenge," Sam muttered shortly, as the Pack gathered together at the house after the leeches were ripped to pieces.

"What?" Leah demanded. "For what?" The others looked up in anticipation of the answer, scattered around the room in their usual manner. Collin and Brady were in a corner of the couch, Quil and the others on the floor while Jacob paced the room anxiously. Embry was hovering by the stairs, where Haley was upstairs with Kim.

"For killing all the newborns," he informed them. "I think one escaped during the attack. And then decided to go make more newborns to get their revenge on us for killing them all."

"You mean…we're going to have more newborns running around Forks and La Push?" Quil asked, the shifters all paling underneath their skin. "_More_?" The last word came out as a croak rather than a question.

"That means more shifters," Seth reminded them. "Right?" he asked, seeing Sam's hesitation.

"I don't think so," he said reluctantly. "I think the last group that phased were all that are capable of it. We just need to start training them for fighting. More."

"We can hold them," Jacob growled.

"There's no need to bring green fighters into this just to get themselves killed," Collin volunteered, and no one remarked on the irony of his statement.

"We'll need more patrols, at least," Sam continued, and Emily nodded with a sigh.

"I can't believe they showed up in La Push. They usually stay away from our land," Paul said thoughtfully, and the others nodded.

"Usually they want the Cullens. Now they want our blood," Jacob said grimly. "We're the target this time. And our Imprints – they knew Kim was one, and Haley."

"Bastards," Jared growled, baring his teeth.

"So what do we do? Lock them all up until we wipe out the bloodsuckers?" Quil demanded, sounding almost hopeful. The Alpha shook his head, to their disappointment.

"We can't. Haley doesn't even know what's going on – although _someone_ has to explain it to her once she wakes up," he added pointedly, glancing at Embry. The shifter almost seemed to ignore his words, staring up the stairs with concern. "We have to have one of us be with them constantly until we figure out what their plan is, though," Jacob continued, and Quil groaned.

"They're never going to let me," he muttered, but Jacob shrugged.

"We'll explain."

"At least Nessie is surrounded by vampires. Hell, she's got powers all her own," Leah argued. "Those girls don't – Claire's just a baby! What are we going to do, stalk them?"

"I don't know," Jacob grumbled, losing patience.

"We'll just have to go with the flow on this," Sam replied, folding his arms over his chest deliberately. "But right now, we can't leave them alone. Even if they don't know we're there."

The shifters nodded, the vampires having made it clear they wanted not only the Pack, but their Imprints. It was easy enough for Jared and Kim, since they lived together, and Nessie obviously had her own protection. Claire and Haley were the ones they had to figure out what to do with.

* * *

"What the…where am I?" Haley demanded, and a hand was on her shoulder to keep her down.

"Back in Emily's house. I'm Kim," the girl told her, and Haley recognized the girl from earlier. "You had quite a fright, I know. I can understand," she continued, moving so Haley could sit up gingerly.

"Where's Jeremy?" she asked, but Kim shook her head.

"In the playpen with Rose downstairs. Perfectly safe," she assured the young woman, who let out a sigh of relief.

"Everything's so fuzzy," she complained. "I swear there were vampires…and a big dog appeared. And then Seth turned into one…holy shit." She paused, and her eyes widened. "They're…werewolves."

"Not exactly," Embry admitted, and both young women turned to see him leaning in the doorway sheepishly. "You can go see Jared," he told Kim, who left the room in a flash. He shut the door behind him, and noticed that Haley didn't seem frightened of him.

"Not exactly?" she repeated incredulously. "Werewolves don't exist to begin with, so what else can you _be_?"

"We're shape-shifters," he explained, sitting on the edge of the bed gingerly. "Not pure wolves, we don't change with the moon. We phase at will."

"Phase?"

"Turn into the wolves you saw," he said patiently. He watched as she went over this in her mind, and her eyes widened even more.

"So…so…that was you?" she asked, and he nodded. "And Seth?" Nod two. "So who was the third one?"

"Jacob. He's our Alpha – he runs the Pack," he told her, watching her closely.

"And that means…they really were vampires…" she realized, turning dangerously pale. He leaned forward in fright, and pulled her upright by her shoulders.

"Yes," he said reluctantly, still tasting the disgusting flavor in his mouth. "They were newborns – newly-turned vampires. They're strongest, and most dangerous."

"What'd they want? And what's an Imprint?" she demanded, and he groaned.

"I hoped you didn't remember that part."

"I did."

"Well…don't freak out, okay?" he asked, and she laughed shortly.

"Oh, yes, I was just attacked by vampires and pinned down by a big mutt, and you're telling me not to freak out _now_? How bad is it?" she asked sarcastically.

"When a shifter finds the one they're meant to be with…it's like love at first sight," he said quickly, spitting it out. "It's Imprinting, knowing that."

"So…wait, you _Imprinted_ me?" she asked slowly, going over the thought in her mind. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"It means I love you," he told her softly, the look in his eyes only confirming his words. "More than anything else. You're perfect to me, and I'll die before I let anything hurt you. When you told us Daniel hit you…Jacob had to track me down to make sure I wasn't going after him," he admitted ruefully, a bit embarrassed. Haley stared at him, and her silence was beginning to bother him.

"So…"

"Are you mad?" he asked quickly. "I'll leave. I'll never bother you again, if that's what you want. I swear."

"I was only going to ask," she continued wryly, "if you're in love with me, how come you've never tried to kiss me?"

He stared at her in shock, and it took a moment for him to decide the question was permission for him to try. Pulling her to him, he sighed to himself in relief as she returned the kiss as much as he'd let her. He released her after another moment, and only stared at her.

They turned at a knock at the door, and Seth popped his head in with a grin.

"Hey, how come I don't get smooched?" he complained, ducking when Embry threw a shoe at him. "Hey, hey! Touchy," he yelped, before ambling into the room. "If Haley's ready to go back home, Sam said I'm going with you," he told Embry. "Quil and Collin are gonna stalk Claire for now."

"Claire?"

"Jacob's niece – Quil's imprint," Embry told her, and she blinked.

"But she's…"

"Yeah, we know," Seth said, nodding. "But it doesn't matter. He'll be whatever she needs him to be at the moment. Don't worry, we're shifters not pedophiles," he added with a wink, and whined when Embry smacked him. "Cut that out! I'm so abused," he grumbled. Haley laughed as she got to her feet, a bit shakily, and patted Seth on the arm.

"I guess you earned a kiss," she said teasingly, giving him a light peck on the cheek. He brightened immediately, while Embry glowered behind her. He bared teeth was enough to warn Seth to back off immediately, which he did without complaining.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to survive newborns to get ripped apart by Fluffy," he joked, leading them downstairs.


	4. The Baseball Bat

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Ah, here's the fourth installment. Already....=O I hope you all enjoy it. I love Seth and his personality, so he's going to rather prominent in this story. I forget if I said that already...oh well. Enjoy!  
And yes, Haley has a temper.

* * *

"They're gone," Embry assured her, as the three made their way back to her house. They took this car, Seth in the backseat with a gurgling Jeremy, while Haley seemed to melt in the passenger seat, completely drained.

"I know. It's just…"

"Yeah, you tend to get paranoid," Seth agreed. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. They don't like our scent, and vice versa. They won't attack until they're ready to stand the stench."

"You guys don't, like, mark your territory, do you?" she asked hesitantly, and was met with blank stares. "Like, dogs, um…"

"Oh. You want to know if Embry's gonna pee on your fencepost," Seth realized, sniggering crazily. It sounded like he was going to explode or something equally messy, and Haley laughed. Embry turned a bright red, which only made her more suspicious.

"No, we don't!" he said loudly, as she opened her mouth to ask again. "No, we're shifters, not dogs," he muttered, but she shrugged.

"Well, you _look_ like dogs. Big mutant, killer dogs, but still," she added thoughtfully, and the boy in the backseat almost went into conniptions. They were surprised at the ease with which she accepted the situation, but she had little choice to begin with. Besides, there were two other perfectly sane, adult females to tell her the rest, which had seemed to reassure her somewhat.

"Dogs," Embry mumbled under his breath, and sighed. "You're as bad as Claire."

"Quil will never live down the name Muffin," Seth informed her, still laughing. "Claire was only about two, and she somehow associated her beloved protector with his mother's muffins. Hence, the name. Kids say the darndest things indeed. His face was priceless."

"I thought he was going to cry," the other shifter added, snickering himself at the thought. Haley brightened up at this news, and a sudden glint in her eye made the two nervous.

"So…is it common for Imprints to give their shifters names that are embarrassing as hell?" she asked casually, and Embry blanched as Seth gasped for air, turning red.

"N…no," he managed, the other shifter too frightened to speak. "But you…can…if you want," he managed to spit out, tears forming in his eyes. Embry banged his head on the steering wheel in dismay, and Haley grinned.

"How about…Pooky-butt?"

Jeremy shrieked in delight as Seth fell out of the car – it was his own fault since he was banging on the door with tears rolling down his cheeks as he tried to breathe, and Embry quickly backed it up. Haley covered her eyes, but all she heard was an indignant 'ow!'.

* * *

"All right, young sir, time for you to go to bed so your aunt can get it on with your future uncle," Seth informed Jeremy with a smirk, carrying the baby to his crib. Haley shook her head, eyes covered, while Embry rolled his eyes.

"He certainly likes kids," she commented, wandering into the kitchen and pouring herself some soda.

"Yeah. Edward said he's got pure thoughts, or some crap like that," the shifter told her. The two had explained about the Cullens during the ride, and Haley snorted.

"Are you sure his powers aren't going a bit haywire, if that's what he picks up from that kid?" she asked in disbelief, and Seth whimpered as he joined them.

"I'm hurt," he said grandly, helping himself to a piece of cheesecake that was hiding in the kitchen.

"Help yourself," she said dryly, as he proceeded to eat the rest of the cake after the piece was done.

"Uh…sowwy?" he mumbled through the cake, his cheeks resembling a chipmunk. Embry snorted in amusement and found himself a sandwich, while Haley threw her hands up in the air in disbelief.

"At least buy me groceries tomorrow!" she protested, heading out to the main room and flicking on the television. "Nothing good on," she grumbled, glancing up as Embry plopped down next to her. Seth took over the other couch, his feet hanging off the end as usual.

"Nothing ever is," the kid commented, waving his hand and obviously wanting the remote. She tossed it over with a shrug, and he grinned. "Got any movies?"

"Sure," Haley replied with a nod. "Loads. Check the cabinet there," she pointed out, and the two young men shifted to see a tall, wide cabinet – more like a bookcase – stocked full of nothing but DVDs.

"Awesome!" Seth crowed, and rushed over in a second. Embry remained next to his Imprint, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously when the other shifter turned around with a case in hand.

"Which one?" she asked curiously, and grinned when he flashed _Blazing Saddles_ at her. "Sweet! Stick it in, I haven't watched that in a while," she ordered, getting comfortable against her own personal heater.

"I didn't think you watched stuff like that," Embry remarked, and she looked up curiously.

"Why?'

"I just didn't think you watched crude stuff," he began, and jumped when Seth blasted the movie. "Hey!" he barked warningly, and the younger shifter winced as he remembered the baby. Quickly lowering it, he shot a sheepish grin towards Haley as an apology.

"It's funny," she said with a shrug, and he grinned.

"At least you won't complain when I want to watch violent stuff," he said, ruffling her hair carefully.

* * *

"She's out?" Seth realized in surprise, turning around to see Haley asleep, her head on Embry's chest. "Wow, I guess we really wore her out," he said sheepishly, and Embry rolled his eyes.

"Ya think?" he asked sarcastically, standing up and cradling her gently in his arms. "She's so tiny," he said, almost in awe, and Seth gagged behind his back. "Cut that out," Embry muttered, and Seth relaxed into an easy grin.

"I was just kidding. You're cute, Pooky-butt," he ventured to say, certain his friend wouldn't drop his Imprint to kill the other shifter. He got a growl for his effort before Embry stalked off towards her bedroom. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" he called after them, and ducked as a shoe came at him.

"Brat," Embry complained under his breath, and blinked in surprise when Haley shifted in his arms.

"Mmm?"

"You fell asleep," he told her, setting her on the bed.

"I guess so," she realized with a sleepy grin. "I'm good, I'm good. Let me change and get some rest. Are you guys staying the night?" she asked, and he nodded. "Well, there's a spare bed upstairs if you need sleep," she told him, before shooing him out of the room.

"Sleep is not an option tonight," the shifter sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. Not with newborns roaming the area.

"Talking to yourself?" Seth asked curiously. "That's the first sign of insanity, you know."

"At least I'm sane enough to know that you're completely cracked," he shot back, falling back into couch. He got a shrug, and huffed.

"And at least I know it," the younger boy replied with a smirk.

* * *

"You okay?" Embry asked, having raced to the room several hours later after hearing a shriek. He swallowed thickly at seeing her – he should've sent Seth. She was wearing a silky black pajama set, and was sprawled over the bed while tangled in the sheets.

"Wha…? Oh, it's you," Haley realized, tilting her head to peer at him. "I'm fine. I just had a bad dream. No goulies are coming to get me," she added teasingly, and waved sleepily as he backed out of the room quickly.

"You're some masochist, aren't you?" Seth asked conversationally, helping himself to some more of her food. "I mean, you keep doing that to yourself. You're just gonna phase one time, you know."

"I know," Embry growled, almost punching the counter and putting a hole in it. Luckily, he stopped himself and relaxed into a less-tense stance. "It's hard."

"Oh, I know," the other agreed. "We've got the meld, remember? I know how Jake and Quil –"

"It's not like that!" he said, desperate to explain. "It's different! They're still kids…the Imprint is at a different stage," he managed, running a hand through his hair. "They don't…feel…like I do."

"Ah. I get it," Seth replied, nodding his head understandingly. "They have to wait to jump their bones, while you're stuck with it now."

"I guess you can say," his Pack brother managed with glare, wishing it wasn't quite like that. Unfortunately, Seth had nailed it – however crudely he used the hammer.

"Well, don't worry. If you need to phase and kill something, we've got those parasites," he assured him calmly, stuffing his face in the next second. A string of incoherent mumbles followed, and Embry stared at him in confusion.

"What?"

"I _said_," Seth began, obviously annoyed he hadn't been understood, "not to worry. No one can resist an Imprint's level of love and adoration, however sickening it may be to the rest of us. You'll get her eventually."

Embry only sighed, and shook his head.

"No?" The boy tilted his head, confused, and frowned at his friend. "I don't get it."

"It's driving me crazy," he admitted. "It takes all my control not to just phase and run for it when I'm around her. And now with everything happening, it's even worse."

"What is?"

"The instinct to protect," he said simply. "I just want to drag her to La Push and lock her up somewhere until it's safe. But that won't get me very far with her."

"No, I doubt it," Seth agreed, and leaned back with elbows on the counter. "Just chill, man. You'll get it all sorted out sooner or later. That's why I'm here, stupid. Sam figured someone better be here who can think straight."

Embry shot him a look, and he frowned.

"Hey!"

* * *

"Did you guys get _any_ sleep?" Haley asked in disbelief, as two shifters turned wearily to look at her early that morning. She had already showered, and was wandering around in sweatpants, a shirt, and socks.

"No. What's with the outfit?" Seth replied. "Yoga class?"

"I have this feeling I'm not allowed to leave the house today, so I decided I'll be as lazy as possible," she admitted wryly. "I'm behaving, see? Now, you guys get some sleep or I'll be pissed. You're like big, annoying mattresses lying around like that," she added, glancing over her shoulder as she headed into the kitchen.

"Fine, fine, when you put it like that," the boy agreed eagerly, getting to his feet and stretching. Embry followed suit, a bit more reluctantly, and she couldn't help but stare. They were both so _big_, she was afraid they'd put a hole in her ceiling. They managed to avoid that, however, and plodded down the hallway towards the respective bedrooms.

"I swear…" she sighed, and shook her head. Turning the heat on the stovetop up, she dug around until she found her pan. "I have a feeling I don't have enough pancake mix," she added sadly, peering at her half-full jug of it.

* * *

"This is good," Seth mumbled through the cold pancakes, which had been sitting in the refrigerator for almost six hours. Haley had occupied herself during that time by playing with Jeremy – something she could never tire of – and feeding the two humans present.

"I do have a microwave," she hinted, watching them in amusement, chin propped on her palm.

"But this was quicker," Embry protested, also talking through a full mouth.

"What'd you use?" the other demanded. "They don't taste like normal ones. Good, but weird."

"You don't want to know," she managed, muffling a laugh with her hand. Embry caught the gesture and narrowed his eyes. Her wrist was caught in a second, and he leaned in close.

"What?" he asked softly. She blushed at the contact, but still grinned.

"Uhm…oatmeal?"

"_What_?" Seth managed a horrified croak, having sworn never to eat oatmeal after a very bad experience of supposed raisins in it one morning. "Not that!"

"I thought you said it was good!" she protested indignantly, but he shook his head.

"That was before I knew! I was innocent!"

Embry snorted, and returned to his share pointedly. "I like them fine."

"_Thank_ you, Embry. At least someone here has manners," Haley said with a sweet smile, enough to cause both young men to turn red under their skin.

"You didn't feed this to Jeremy, did you?" Seth asked after a moment of silence, and gasped when she smiled in response. "You monster!"

"Not the pancakes!" she shot back, mistaking his horror. "Just some soft oatmeal, like normal people eat."

"Why?" the younger shifter continued to moan, but somehow forcing the pancakes down his throat all the while. Haley snickered at this, and looked up when she heard Jeremy gurgle. "Speaking of the kid…"

"I'll get the pup, you relax," Embry ordered, getting to his feet. She frowned, about to object, but shot from the room when she heard baby screams. Her heart almost stopped in both shock and relief when she saw Embry playing with Jeremy, holding him with one hand and flying him through the air.

"Give him to me!" she demanded, striding over and looking like she was choking. The shifter looked pitifully confused when she snatched Jeremy from him and whimpered when she stalked away, obviously mad.

"What'd I do?" he asked pleadingly, doubling over so his head was below her shoulder in a state of pathetic-ness. "What'd I do?" he repeated, practically crawling after her as she set the baby safely in his high chair.

"Don't. Do. That. Again," she said through set teeth, and his eyes widened.

"Do what?"

"_That_!" she managed, waving her arm in a gesture that brought a penguin trying to fly to Seth's mind. He promptly choked, but was ignored. "That…flying!" she explained, as he was still staring at her blankly.

"Why?"

"Because you had him in one hand!"

"It's a big enough hand!" he protested, about to grovel if it meant no more yelling.

"That's not the point! What if you dropped him?" she demanded. He blinked, and then burst out laughing. Haley practically growled at him herself, and glared until he calmed down.

"You have no idea how fast our reflexes are," he said finally, chuckling. "Not that I'd drop, but if I _did_, I'd be able to catch him before he moved an inch."

She narrowed her eyes further, obviously not believing a word of it, and whirled around when Seth had a suddenly brilliant idea. To him, at least.

"Catch!" he hollered, and Embry caught the baby out of sheer reflex. He glanced at Haley nervously, but frowned in concern when she was perfectly still. "Umm…it was his fault?" he offered, handing Jeremy to her in a sort of peace offering. She made a choking noise, her face dead white, before inhaling.

"_GET OUT!_"

* * *

"Ow," Seth muttered, rubbing his ears in protest. The two shifters had found themselves on the front porch in the span of three milliseconds, and she had locked the door. Not that it would have stopped them, but it was the point.

"What the fuck was that?" Embry asked incredulously. "_Catch_?" he repeated, staring at the boy.

"Uh…I thought we could show her our reflexes?" he said sheepishly, and winced when Embry clocked him upside the head. "I get it!"

"I wonder how long we're going to be stuck out here because of your idiocy," the poor shifter grumbled, crossing his arms on his knees.

* * *

"It's raining!"

"It's always raining."

"It's cold!"

"And? You're warm."

"But…we're hungry?"

"Go eat a damn deer!"

"You can't let us starve," Seth whimpered, having been trying to convince Haley to let them back in for the better part of an hour. It had grown dark almost three hours ago, and the two shifters were rather miserable looking.

"Sure I can."

"_Please_?"

"No!"

"What the hell is going on?" Sam demanded, striding up with Paul in tow.

"Uh…"

"She locked us out because of Seth," Embry explained with a growl.

"Just go in," Paul said, his tone one that clearly implied they were idiots. Before they could stop him, the shifter strode up to the door and cleanly took it off its hinges. A long silence followed, Embry and Seth already cringing.

"What the _fuck_?"

"She swears?" Sam asked in surprise, as the shriek punctured their eardrums. Jeremy laughed happily, and Paul backpedaled in shock as she took a baseball bat to him.

"I guess so," Embry managed, wincing as the bat broke over the shifter's head.

"Fuck me!"

"I will not!" she fumed, looking around for something else to hit him with. She gasped when Sam sidestepped Paul and smoothly pinned her arms above her head, lifting her several inches off the ground.

"Calm down," he said pleasantly, and she wiggled in vain.

"Put her down," Embry growled, and Sam looked over at him.

"I will when she promises to forget that whole crowbar idea," he promised, and she sighed. The mentioned weapon was indeed nearby, and the shifters collectively winced at the realization.

"I promise," she said sullenly, and was returned to the ground in an instant. "But not because I still don't want to," she added stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"What brought this on?" the former Pack Alpha asked mildly, his look clearly implying he thought the shifters were the ones to blame. She explained, and he forced down a laugh before he was included in her wrath.

"They'd never hurt a baby," he promised, and then narrowed his eyes in their direction. "Not if they want to live."

"No – yes – I want to live!" Seth said, trying to figure out which was the right answer. He got down on his stomach and wiggled towards Haley's feet, wrapping his arms around her legs. She almost fell over from the imbalance the huge boy was causing her, but Sam caught her shoulder.

"I wasn't going to kill him. Just maim him some," she mumbled, glancing at Paul. The shifter began to growl before remembering Embry, and only snorted instead.

"Leah's coming by in a bit so you two can get a break. It appears you need one more than I thought," Sam told them, ignoring the exchange. "She'll spend the night – you two get back to La Push so Jacob can assign patrol. They'll be back tomorrow morning," he promised, before phasing and disappearing. Paul followed, and she was left with her jaw hanging.

"You can let go now," she managed, glancing down at Seth.

"Not until you say I can live."

"You can live. But if you throw my baby again, you'll wish you were dead," she said cheerfully, sincerity ringing with every word. The shifter whimpered before scuttling away quickly, getting to his feet and trying to recover his shredded dignity.

"Um…" Embry shifted uncomfortably, and looked up hopefully when his Imprint sighed.

"Fine, you're forgiven too, ju – I can't – breath!" she gasped, finding herself caught up in a bone-crushing hug by the young man. He held her close for a second longer before dropping her, and she gasped for air.

"Sorry," he apologized, but his grin betrayed his own amusement.

"Brat," she sighed, smacking him on the arm.

"Am I interrupting?" Leah asked dryly, rolling her eyes as she strode up to the house.

"No. I can live!" Seth informed her cheerfully, before streaking away. She looked after her brother in confusion before shaking her head.

"And you?" she continued, eyeing Embry with obvious sympathy.

"I don't think she'll throw me out yet," he volunteered with a grin, and ran off before Haley could smack him. Leah sighed – she was the lucky one who got to explain to Haley why Embry wasn't allowed to be alone with her just yet.

"_Lucky me. How do I begin? Remember Emily's face?"_ she asked herself sarcastically, and instantly regretted the thought when she saw Haley's face.

"Uhm…are you hungry?" the young woman asked. "I have food. I think…unless they ate it all…" She trailed off in concern, and then saw her door again.

"I can fix that," Leah assured her, picking it up with a strength that Haley envied. "Get the pup something to eat – I have a feeling you haven't had a chance to feed him yet."

* * *

"I…see…" Haley said slowly, frowning as she tried to process what Leah told her. "So, same thing for Jared and Kim?"

"At first, but Jared's so laid-back about everything we weren't really worried," Leah explained awkwardly. "Besides, he Imprinted when there was a lull – not much to get his temper up. But with all the newborns around…Embry could catch scent of one and just lose it. And you might get caught between them."

"Are you serious?" she demanded, not getting it.

"Yes." The shifter nodded, trying to keep her patience on a longer fuse. "It's just how it is. We're volatile, especially when we're mad. Until Embry learns to control his emotions when you're concerned, someone'll be there."

"Control his emotions?"

"Not have less emotions…just not try to rip out Seth's throat if he hugs you, or Paul if he gets mad because you break a bat over his head," Leah told her, having been told by Sam what happened before she arrived – luckily, she had been in their path during their escape.

"Oh," she said, blushing in embarrassment. "I was…really mad…"

"And so was Embry," the woman promised her, nodding. "_Very_. At Paul."

"So…no more baseball bats?"

"God forbid," Leah said, with a chuckle at the idea.


	5. The Trip

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Ah, the song lyrics in the beginning are from _Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)_ by Eurythmics. I'm glad everyone seems to like Haley so much, since she's grown on me. I'm developing the plot slowly, since I want this to be a nice, long fic, so enjoy!

* * *

"Sweet dreams of this…and who am I to disagree?" she sang, dancing around with Jeremy on the porch. "I traveled the world and the seven seas, everybody's lookin' for something…"

She paused when she heard an amused snort behind her and turned to see Embry leaning on the railing, laughing.

"Sorry. I didn't take you for a pop rock star," he apologized, and she rolled her eyes indignantly.

"Of course! I've traveled the world, remember?" she said teasingly, pausing the music on the boombox with a grin.

"My apologies. I forgot," he replied, leaning down and kissing her softly on the lips before striding inside, hollering for Leah. Haley stared at him for a moment before picking up the boombox and following, already carrying Jeremy.

"Where's Seth?" she asked, interrupting the two shifters.

"He's on his way," Embry told her, glancing over his shoulder. She got the feeling she was interrupting and narrowed her eyes, sure it was about her. Pointedly remaining in the room, she lowered Jeremy to the floor and blinked when he crawled right for Embry, grabbing onto the jeans the young man wore.

"Looks like the pup's gotten attached," Leah remarked with a wry grin, hands resting on her hips calmly. Embry chuckled and swung the baby into the air, watching Haley carefully. She only watched them with a laugh, appearing completely at ease once more.

Seth appeared next to Haley the next moment, and slung his arm around her shoulders with a grin.

"Miss me?"

"I actually have food in my refrigerator," she replied pointedly. "I thought shifters in general ate a lot – it must just be because you're men, because Leah didn't empty out my fridge."

"Hm," he sighed, but pleased at being called a man. Leah snorted in amusement and elbowed her brother playfully as she strode toward the door.

"Well, I'm gonna go get some sleep before things start up, so catch you later," she called, waving briefly before disappearing down the street. Haley shook her head as Embry bounced Jeremy up in the air, but suddenly narrowed her eyes. She knew Seth had been late for a reason, and wanted to know why.

"So, what did you have to say to Leah?" the Imprint asked casually, causing Seth to choke on a laugh. Embry paused to look at her before turning away again.

"Nothing."

"Tell me," she insisted, moving closer. "I think it has something to do with me, doesn't it?" At this, the shifter frowned and handed Jeremy to her, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly.

"It's nothing."

"Fine. If you don't want to tell me, don't. Just don't bother talking to me until you're ready to spill it," she said calmly, bending down to pick up her nephew before striding out towards the television. They heard a children's show playing moments later, and Embry groaned.

"It's okay, man," Seth assured him, patting him on the back. "It's better she doesn't know."

"Don't know what?" Her voice floated through the air to their ears, and they both stiffened.

"Nothing!"

"I see."

"Well, maybe you should tell her," the boy amended, seeing how miserable Embry looked at the fact his Imprint wasn't speaking to him. "After all, she should know."

"Some help you are," he muttered, shooting a glare at his friend. The other shifter only shrugged, and opted to remain in the kitchen as Embry loped to see Haley.

She looked up as he sat on the couch behind her, as she was on the floor with Jeremy, but quickly returned her attention back to the baby.

"Fine. I'll tell you," he whimpered. "I'm not supposed to."

"Tell me what?" she repeated, twisting around to rest her gaze on him. He swallowed, and she softened slightly at pathetic expression. "I'm not mad. Just annoyed. I'm not a child."

"The Pack caught a few more bloodsuckers last night. Three," he admitted, and she blinked.

"Where?"

"A few blocks away."

She paled at this news, and instinctively reached out for Jeremy. Embry caught her up in his arms before she reached the baby and held her on his lap close, tucking her head under his chin.

"Don't worry. They went a different route than before – we'll be ready next time," he soothed her. "They were sloppy anyway. Leah could've taken care of them on her own if it came down to it."

"That's not really helping," she muttered, surprisingly comfortable in his warm grasp.

"Sorry," he apologized. "But you have to believe me. We would never let anything hurt you. It doesn't matter how many times they try."

"I know. It's Jeremy I worry about," she admitted, snuggling a bit closer as if it comforted her. "He's just a baby, completely defenseless."

"Trust me, you're completely defenseless against them too," he reminded her, and she shifted to reward him with a dry look.

"Thanks so much. I get that," she informed him, but sighed when she was pulled back into his grasp.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you," he stated, knowing the answer. She shook her head reluctantly, and shrugged as much as she was able. "Why?"

"I missed you guys," she said after a pause, blushing at the admission. He seemed happy about that, however, and she gasped as her air supply was suddenly cut off by a group hug.

"You do love us!" Seth crowed triumphantly, behind the couch with his arms around the couple. Embry sighed, hiding his face behind a big hand, but Haley laughed.

"Yes. How can I not? You're so cute, Fluffy," she said teasingly, and Seth paused when he realized she was talking to him.

"Wait…_me_?" he asked incredulously, straightening and pointing at himself with wide eyes. "_Fluffy_?"

"Well, he's Pooky-butt, so you have to have a name too. Until you Imprint, then she can decide," Haley amended, and blinked when Embry began to shake underneath her. Seth looked a bit alarmed, and then cracked a relieved grin when the shifter burst into howls of laughter.

"I win!" Embry howled, and Seth frowned.

"Win what?" she asked, confused.

"I said you'd give him a nickname in a week," her shifter chuckled, outstretching his hand. "Pay up, kid."

"When we get back to La Push – I don't have anything on me now," Seth grumbled, vaulting over the couch and bouncing next to them. Haley looked between them in amusement before glancing back at Jeremy, who seemed content with the television.

"I guess I can trust you two not to throw him through a window or my ceiling," she said with a sigh, and Embry blinked as she snuggled closer. Seth remained silent for once, but grinned as the young woman fell asleep on his lap.

"I told you."

"Shut up," Embry growled, one hand around her lower back as the other rested on her legs. "This is hard enough without your remarks."

"Sorry, sorry," the boy shot back, hands raised in a peaceful truce. He got down on the floor with Jeremy and wondered how much Haley would mind if he tried to see how fast he could catch the kid. Deciding against it, he contented himself with playing with the large Lego-like blocks, thanking God the kid didn't play with Barbies.

* * *

"Aren't you bored yet?" Embry asked. It was closer to evening than afternoon by now and Seth was intent on building a Lego recreation of La Push, despite Jeremy's occasional destruction. Haley was still sound asleep, something which surprised both shifters.

"Nope," he replied, concentrating on the task at hand. Embry rolled his eyes in amusement and began to channel hop again, as the movie on the station had ended. _Dracula_ was on another, and he made a disgusted face before quickly skipping over it.

He glanced over at his Pack brother when he realized he was being spoken to. "Huh?"

"Wanna help?" Seth asked, leaning back on his heels hopefully.

"Nope. I'm comfortable, thanks," the shifter told him with a grin, and it was Seth's turn to roll his eyes.

"Of course. Want some food, at least? I think the pup's hungry," he said, picking up Jeremy and heading into the kitchen.

"Since when do I pass up food? Gimmie whatever's in there, man," the other called, and grinned as a bag of chips fell into his outstretched hand. "Awesome."

"How you doin', man?" Seth asked suddenly flopping back onto the floor with Jeremy, who seemed happy to try to grab the shifter's ears for the moment.

"Fine," he shrugged. "It's hard to explain."

"Yeah, I got that already," the boy said dismissively. "I don't think keeping the Imprints locked up forever is really the answer, though."

"It's the only thing we can do right now," Embry informed him, but the other shrugged.

"Right now," he agreed. "I can't wait until we find the leech responsible and rip them apart."

"That _is_ going to be fun," the older shifter said with a wolfish grin, baring his teeth at the idea.

* * *

"So, now that you've eaten everything I have, can I leave the house to get food?" Haley asked sarcastically, peering around the corner to eye the two guilty shifters. She had woken up shortly after their conversation and gone in search of something to eat, but was unsuccessful.

"Maybe," Seth began in an uncommitted tone, but paused when he heard what sounded like a growl. Glancing at Embry, the other shifter looked just as confused. Turning around to look at Haley, he grinned when she blushed.

"I'm hungry!" she insisted, crossing her arms stubbornly. Embry grinned, and hauled himself to his feet.

"All right. Get dressed, and I'll take you," he informed her. "Seth will stay here with Jeremy. He'll be _fine_," he added, noticing her hesitation. That was all she needed before she rushed off to the bedroom to fix herself up again.

"You sure?" Seth asked, and Embry shrugged.

"We'll walk through town. Check up on Amelia – it'll be fine. I need some exercise," he muttered, stretching with a yawn. "I'll get fat."

"I doubt that," she remarked, returning with the same coat and boots she had worn the last time, with jeans and a bright aqua scarf obscuring her shirt. "You guys'll never get fat," she continued enviously. "Unlike me."

"Aw, I think you're perfect," Seth told her with a sudden seriousness as he bowed his head in her direction. She blushed a bright red, but laughed at him.

"You would. I think I'm the only female who feeds you as much as Emily does," she replied teasingly, getting her bag as she headed towards the door, obviously eager to get out of the house. "Ready? Don't you even have a _coat_?" she asked, as her shifter made no attempt to put anything more than his shirt on.

"Nope," he said, and she rolled her eyes before sweeping out the door with a blown kiss towards Seth and Jeremy, who waved back with a smile.

* * *

"At least it's not raining. Or snowing," Haley amended, looking around at the overcast sky with what seemed like relief. "Not that it'd matter. I thought I was going to go crazy in that house," she confessed, and Embry slung his arm around her shoulders with a laugh.

"I could tell when you locked us out," he reminded her, and she laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry about that, by the way."

"No, I guess we earned it," he said thoughtfully. "Although it was probably Seth's fault more than me. What're you doing about work, anyway?" he asked, and she shot a wide grin up at him.

"Amelia put me on maternity leave."

Embry would have asked something like, _why_, except he choked on his spit and had to stop to catch his breath. Haley laughed at this reaction, and shook her head tolerantly.

"Stupid, I'm not," she informed him. "But it was the easiest thing to do. I still get a paycheck this way. And everyone already thinks I'm some loose wild city girl, so having them think I got knocked up again by an absent boyfriend won't matter much," she added a bit moodily, and Embry's eyes widened.

"No on in La Push will think that," he promised her, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"Why not?"

"Be-because we'll tell them," he stuttered. "Besides, it'll be obvious soon enough anyway that you're not. Don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt you," he promised, landing a soft kiss on her head. She flushed, but smiled at him.

"Thanks, Embry," she said softly, before rolling her neck. "Come on, I don't want to be out real late. But I need a _lot_ of food. Good thing you're here to carry it all," she added, and he could only manage a sigh at this blatant way to take advantage of him.

* * *

"Glad to see you doing so well, Haley," Amelia remarked as they stopped in to visit.

"Yep. I'm getting taken care of as best as men can do," she replied cheerfully, and Embry began to protest at this remark. The old woman's laughter drowned him out, however, and he was forced to be quiet. He had asked her what _exact_ excuse she had given Amelia, and Haley admitted she told the woman she was being stalked by someone from the city. Judging from the old woman's opinion of city people, this appeared to be a perfectly-feasible reason.

"And I'm sure they're eating you out of house and home," she continued, and Haley nodded.

"I'm going into debt today when I get groceries," she said cheerfully.

"And where's Jeremy?"

"He's at home with a friend," Haley said. Amelia's face registered shock that the girl had left her precious baby in someone else's care, but she quickly recovered.

"I see. I'm sure he's having a lot of fun," she remarked, and the girl nodded.

"Plenty. He loves tormenting them," the young woman confessed with a laugh. "Not that I'm any better."

"Well, if you've got shopping to do before dark, you should probably get going," Amelia reminded her, and Haley sighed.

"I know. I just wanted to stop in to say hello," she said, and perked up when the old woman smiled tolerantly at her.

"Come in anytime. I'll be glad to watch that precious boy for you whenever you need a break," she added, and Haley laughed at the idea, which seemed to please her.

"I promise, I'll bring him in soon," she said over her shoulder, trailing after Embry, who had begun to edge toward the door before the old woman could manage anymore jabs at him. He escaped unscathed, and his expression made Haley laugh again.

"You don't know what an old bat she is," he grumbled, but softened when she patted his arm.

"Oh, relax. She's such a sweet woman to me," Haley reminded him. "It's only because you're a big boy who doesn't have any manners."

He groaned at the teasing, but was satisfied as long as he was with his Imprint and only smiled down adoringly at her the rest of the walk.

* * *

"That's a lot of shit," Seth said in astonishment, as Embry staggered under the weight.

"It's your fault," Haley reminded him, following Embry the house with a few bags of her own. "No one will tell me when you're going to leave, so I had to prepare."

"I see," the boy replied with a grin, and relieved Embry of some of his bags. "Here, lemme take 'em," he offered, and Haley looked around as she unwound her scarf.

"Where's Jeremy?"

"Taking a nap," he called, he and Embry already in the process of putting things where they thought they should go. "He finally started to wear me out, and then himself before he got a second wind," he continued with a laugh, and Haley shook her head in amusement.

"I want to go for a walk before it gets really dark out," she told them suddenly, as the sky was only beginning to melt into dusky twilight. "I really need the exercise," she added with a grumble. Embry stepped in her line of sight, and his face was all she needed to see.

He crossed his arms stubbornly as she moved up to him, trying not to give in as she looked up at him pleadingly.

"_Please_?" she begged. "I'm so sick of being inside! I'll be good! I'll listen. Just let me have a walk!" she pleaded, and he sighed.

"But –"

"Aw, just take a walk around the back," Seth suggested, poking his head around the corner. "There aren't too many houses, so if you need to phase you don't have to worry about anyone watching."

"That's a comforting thought," the shifter grumbled, but sighed as she tugged on his arm.

"_Please_, Embry?" she repeated, and he groaned.

"All right, all right," he said, giving up on having a backbone where his Imprint was concerned. Seth chuckled, but quickly ducked back into the kitchen.

"I'll be here," the boy called, as she dragged the shifter out the back door.

* * *

"Thank you," she said after a few moments, when they were father from the house. "I'm just so…I can't just hide," she managed. "I want to _do_ things, not live the rest of my life in that house."

"You will," he assured her, and she smiled weakly at him.

"Not if you keep acting like that," she pointed out, and he blinked.

"Huh?"

"I'm an adult. I know you want to protect me…but I get to decide too," she said firmly. "If I want to go run around naked singing Bon Jovi, I will."

"I won't object to that," he managed, howling with laughter at the image. She frowned at him, but was unable to keep that face up for long.

"That wasn't quite the point, but okay," she sighed, shaking her head. He sensed she wanted to ask something else, and gazed down at the young woman patiently.

"What?" he finally asked, and she shrugged.

"It's stupid," she said in embarrassment, but he took her hands in one of his gently.

"Nothing you ask me will be silly," he promised in earnest. "Never."

"Well…can I see your wolf form?" she asked, and then looked away. "I told you it was silly. I just…never got to really see you the last time," she explained awkwardly, and he grinned.

"That's all?" he asked. "Sure."

"Sure?" she repeated. "Just like that?"

"All the others shift near people. Only if they're in control," he added absently. "But there's no rule to say we can't phase near our Imprints," he continued, and noticed the eager look on her face. "What?" he asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"I just…well, I like dogs. And you looked fuzzy," she admitted, and his jaw dropped at this confession. Shaking his head, he handed her his shirt. He wasn't wearing shoes, having kicked them off in the house, and she turned around quickly before he stripped completely.

"What, shy?" he asked teasingly, before shifting.

"No, I saw enough stripping the…last…time…" Her voice trailed off as she turned around and realized that in Embry's place was a gigantic wolf staring down at her. He nudged her shoulder gently, having to crouch down to so, and she smiled.

Embry grinned wolfishly at her as she hesitantly patted his head, forced to stand on tiptoe to reach even when he bent down. Scratching behind his ears, Haley blinked in surprise when she saw his tail wagging and laughed.

"You really are a mutt!" she accused him, but he only licked her cheek shamelessly. "Oh, ew!" she groaned, wiping it off. "That was gross!"

The wolf only whined at her as he padded further towards the trees, looking over his shoulder to see if she was following. Haley picked her way through the path to keep up and looked around when he stopped.

"What's here?" she asked, and could have sworn he shrugged. He flopped to the ground on his belly, looking pointedly at her, and she shook her head. "I get it. You want to snuggle," she said teasingly, but obligingly lowered herself to the ground. Settling herself against the warm wolf's stomach, her head right on his shoulder, she sighed. "You're very comfortable, Embry. And you're a lot softer."

He rolled his eyes at that remark, but nuzzled her hair gently with his muzzle before curling up, his tail resting on her waist protectively. She smiled and enjoyed the view of the stars she received, happy it was a clear night.

"_She's pretty warm," _Embry thought with slight frown, but attributed it to his own body temperature affecting her. Shifting slightly, he nudged his nose until it was under her hand, and frowned again. _"She doesn't even have a coat, and she's not cold at all."_

"I'm fine," Haley informed him, hearing a whine. "Just a bit tired." She yawned, and snuggled against the shifter with a contended sigh. Closing her eyes, a few minutes passed before she opened them at hearing a rumble in his chest. Thinking it was a growl, she started to ask what was wrong before realized he was performing the wolf equivalent of a _purr_. Smiling, she settled herself once again and shivered briefly before falling asleep.

Embry, for his part, was surprised there were no leeches to be smelled. _"Seth was right. They're not going to do anything until they've got a plan,"_ he thought, reluctantly giving credit where it was due.


	6. The Disease

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I was waiting for some reviews, but I guess everyone's gone for Christmas. No biggie! Another update for those who do read it. And if you read this, and like it enough to put it on alert or fav status, please just leave a note at least to let me know you like it. I think it's common courtesy.

Reviews appreciated!

* * *

"_What are you doing?"_ Jacob demanded, and Embry looked up almost an hour later to see his Alpha glaring down at him in wolf form, Quil nearby and obviously snickering.

"_She wanted to go for a walk,"_ he tried to explain, knowing it was weak and expecting to be told off. To his surprise, the wolf only shook his head tolerantly and heaved a sigh.

"_Well, it's too cold out."_

"_She's got my heat,"_ Embry argued, and a growl began to form as Quil trotted over to sniff her.

"_Chill man. I think she's sick,"_ he said, and the shifter's eyes widened.

"_I thought she was warm, but nothing else seemed to be bothering her,"_ he began in confusion, shifting to nudge his Imprint. He realized with a painful tightening in his chest that her breathing had become shallower. Guilt coursing through him, he also noted the flush in her cheeks.

"_It's all right, man,"_ Quil assured him, backing off to avoid provoking his pack member. _"There's a virus going around La Push and Forks. Nothing supernatural, it just hits 'em hard," _he added quickly. _"Claire's mom had it – we had to take Claire to Emily's to keep her from getting it."_

"_Is it serious?"_ Embry whined, slowly getting to his feet and propping the young woman against a large paw.

"_Enough that Seth should take Jeremy to Emily's as well,"_ Jacob told him firmly. _"We'll send Leah with some medication in the morning. Get her home and in bed. It'll be over in a few days, it just has to run its course. We'll let Emily know Seth's coming."_

"_How'd she get sick?"_ Embry fretted, looking between his two best friends and feeling utterly helpless.

"_It's just going around. If she went into town, she got it there. She's not gonna _die_, man, so stop looking like that!"_ Quil ordered, a bark punctuating his words. Embry whimpered one last time before phasing back. His clothes tucked under Haley's arm, he sighed when he scooped her up. He could have sworn Quil snickered, and shot him a warning glare.

"_We'll never say a word about to her,"_ Jacob promised, before loping off. Quil barked one last laugh before trotting after the Alpha, leaving Embry to jog back towards the house with their usual shifter-speed.

* * *

"Um…do I want to ask?" Seth choked, his eyes threatening to fall out of his head as a stark-naked Embry stalked through the back door with Haley in his arms.

"She wanted to see my wolf form. I phased. I didn't realize she was sick until now," Embry explained shortly, Seth trailing after him as he headed to the bedroom.

"Is it serious?" the boy asked in honest concern, but Embry shook his head as he lowered his Imprint on the bed. Pulling on his pants, he glanced back to Seth.

"No. But take Jeremy to Emily's until she's better. Apparently, it's really contagious," he told him, and winced when Seth's mouth widened into a grin. "Yes, Jake and Quil came to check up on us and Quil told me," he said impatiently, and tossed the baby bag to the boy. "Now, get going."

"All right, all right. Am I coming back?" he asked, backing out of the room.

"No. Leah's coming in the morning. Stay with Jeremy. She'll kill me if something happened," he admitted with a wince, and rolled his eyes as a bark of laughter reached his ears. "It's not that funny!" he hissed.

"Sure it is. The whole pack's gonna know you're whipped enough to phase when she asks you to," Seth chuckled, but whimpered when Embry was suddenly beside him and looking very mad.

"Jake said there wouldn't be a word of this to her. Understand? Not a word," he ordered, and the boy grinned.

"I get it! You don't want her to know you had to run around with her naked? Sure, I can only imagine her reaction if she found out. Your secret is safe with me," he assured his friend, and looked down at the baby helplessly.

"Oh, I'll get him dressed," Embry said in exasperation and began the process after waking up Jeremy, who gurgled happily at the shifter. The young man went at the task with more efficiency than Seth had thought possible, and the boy had to admit he was impressed.

"At least Haley won't have to always take care of the kids," he joked, quickly taking the baby from Embry to protect himself. The shifter turned red, and gently shoved him down the hall.

"I get the point," he said through set teeth. "Jake said he'll let Emily know, so get going before she starts to worry."

"I'm going, I'm going!" Seth complained. "I'm so abused," he muttered before Embry shut the door on him.

Sighing to himself, he checked back on Haley and groaned when he realized he couldn't let her stay in her current clothes, considering they were dirty from being in the forest.

Muttering obscenities to himself, Embry gingerly took off her shoes and decided to leave her socks on for warmth. Steeling himself, the process went quicker than he could have hoped for and she was soon in a pair of blue flannel pajamas he had found.

"I guess that would be the fever," he noticed, seeing her shivering despite her high fever. Tucking her under the blankets, he found several others in the closet and layered them on top of the young woman. Shrugging to himself, he got into the bed next to her and pulled her against him, feeling her relax against his body heat.

* * *

The morning didn't start out too promising for the poor shifter. He was woken up by a strange noise, and before he could open his eyes he found himself on the floor with the blankets on top of him.

"Haley?" he asked fearfully, but saw her rushing out of the room. Scrambling to his feet, he stopped short when she slammed the door to the bathroom loudly. "Are you all right?" he called, hearing the unmistakable sounds of someone who was literally sick to their stomach.

"Don't come in," she croaked, her voice pitiful. "I missed. I'll clean it up."

"What?" he said indignantly, but she yelled something incoherent at him before emptying her stomach again. Wincing, he slowly backed away from the door and leaned against the wall across from it, staring at it intently.

A few more minutes passed before the door opened, and he gaped at the sight before him.

"I know," she managed to croak. Her skin was sheet white, and her hair was plastered to her face from sweat. "I look horrible. I feel – urp." It was the warning she needed to spin around and slide across the bathroom to the toilet with agility that would have impressed any performer.

"Um…" Embry began, but turned his head when someone knocked on the door. Reluctantly leaving his Imprint in the bathroom, he brightened slightly upon seeing Leah in the doorframe. The female shifter didn't look too pleased, however, and thrust a bag at him.

"Here, Jake sent it by way of Amelia through me. Make sure she takes it, directions are in the bag. I've got things to do, so enjoy doing laundry," she said shortly, turning on her heel and racing off before someone gave her reason to stay. Embry blinked, but shut the door slowly.

"If it's drugs, I want 'em!" Haley yelled weakly, and he trotted back to poke his head through the frame.

"If you can get up off the floor long enough to drink something, you can take it," he told her, skimming the directions on the bottle. She stared at him pitifully, and he sighed.

"Thanks," she mumbled, bracing herself up on the counter as he filled the cup in the bathroom with tap water. Handing it to her, he made sure she could swallow before giving her the pill. She managed to tip her back to choke it down before groaning.

"Don't throw up on me!" he yelped, jumping up as she turned green. Incapacitated, his Imprint only managed a glare before dipping her head in the sink.

* * *

Haley was stretched out on the couch that afternoon, wearing her pajamas and a blanket wrapped around her, while Embry tiptoed around the house fearful of bothering her.

She groaned quietly, and he looked up from the book he'd been reading immediately.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just thought something felt weird…" she mumbled, rolling over to face the back of the couch. He began to say something, but growled when he smelled who was outside. Striding to the front door, he threw it open to find Carlisle and Jasper before him, looking as calm as ever.

"Ah! Hello, Embry," the doctor said cheerfully. "Nessie sent us to see if Jacob was over here. We had a newborn attack, you see, and we wanted to inquire what was going on."

"They're attacking our tribe. And Imprints," Embry informed him, reluctantly stepping aside to let the two vampires in. The rest of the Pack had come to a truce with the Cullens after Jacob had Imprinted on Nessie, but they had been born to hate vampires and it was a bit hard to overcome one's natural instincts.

"And I'm assuming she is yours?" Carlisle guessed, glancing at the sick young woman and frowning slightly. "Does she have what's going around?" he asked, moving over to her before Embry could open his mouth to reply. Crouching next to her, he turned her over gently and rested his palm on her forehead.

"Mmm…" Haley sighed in relief at the iciness of his hand. Embry was too warm, and anything cold seemed to warm up seconds after she touched it. This hand was staying nice and cold, something that was a pleasant change.

"What did you come here for?" Embry demanded, unable to order the vampire back when his Imprint was so relaxed. Jasper shook his head, reclining against a wall.

"We told you. We were attacked by a newborn. Jacob told us something of what was going on, and we decided to come into town and see if anything was up," the vampire told him. "Have any of the others been attacked?"

"Haley," the shifter admitted. "Claire's down in La Push – they only had the guts to go down there one night. We haven't caught any trace of them in days, though."

"Well, we are a bit farther away from town," Carlisle said in amusement, obligingly keeping his hand on the sick woman's forehead to cool her. "We disposed of him easily enough, and he didn't tell us anything useful. Now, what were you saying about attacking your tribe?"

"The Pack. They know who's in the Pack, and who our Imprints are," Embry said bleakly, taking a seat. "They want revenge, Sam thinks, for fighting off Victoria's army that time."

"That was years ago!" the doctor replied, visibly startled. He and Jasper exchanged a glance, but the younger man shrugged. "Who on earth could it be?"

"Sam – guessing again – thinks it could be a newborn that managed to escape it all," Embry told them. "We've talked about it, and the best we can come up with is that a newborn was able to curb their instincts and survive. And now they're gathering up a new set of vampires to finish the job."

"A messy business," Carlisle sighed, and glanced down at Haley. "How is she?"

"Sick as a dog," her shifter admitted. Jasper snorted, ignoring the glare sent his way.

"We knew this must be an Imprint's house as soon as we came into town. It reeks of you dogs," he informed the shifter. "No vampire is going to come within a mile of this damned lot unless they're desperate."

"That's the idea," Embry growled.

"Has she eaten anything?" Carlisle asked, continuing as if there had been interruptions whatsoever.

"No. Leah came by with some medication that she's taking, but it's the first day," Embry admitted. The doctor nodded, and removed his hand reluctantly. Haley muttered something before turning over again, the feverish flush obvious on her cheeks.

"Well, make sure she takes it. Come on, Jasper, time to be getting back. We'll stop in again, you can be sure of that," the vampire assured the shifter as they left the house, his words lacking any threat.

"Why?" Embry growled to himself, locking the door for good measure and resuming his place across from his Imprint.

"Who were they?" Haley asked quietly, turning her head to gaze at Embry. He looked at her in surprise, but grimaced.

"Two of the Cullens. Carlisle is the head – a doctor, and he's the one who turned most of them. As for Jasper…he's the newest one to the family," he explained. He didn't mind Carlisle too much – none of the shifters did. It was hard to, due to his sincere nature and the fact he had patched them up countless times. Jasper they were more wary of, only because they knew his power to manipulate their feelings.

"I liked them," she continued, yawning. "His hand was nice and cold."

"Yeah, they're that, all right," he agreed wryly, sighing in relief when she turned back over to get some sleep.

* * *

"Why are we going back, again?" Jasper repeated in the car, halfway back to their home.

"Because these newborns concern not only the shifters, but us as well. And if they are after their Imprints, it's in our best interest to keep informed of the latest plans," the doctor replied, but Jasper narrowed his eyes.

"There's something else. I'll get Edward to pick it out of you," he threatened, and Carlisle shook his head tolerantly.

"It will take you a long time to understand how I view humans," he informed the younger vampire, who remained silent. "She's very human…a singular human, in my opinion. She has an air about her that not even Bella possessed when she was mortal. A pure human…" He trailed off thoughtfully, and raised an eyebrow at Jasper's snort of amusement.

"They _all_ are mortal, Carlisle," he reminded him with a grin. "No more or less than any other humans walking around."

"No, I think you're wrong," his adopted father replied calmly. "There's something different about that young woman. I wish to get to know her better. Besides, she's a very sick young woman and really needs someone other than a shifter to make sure she's improving," he added, his tone suddenly very professional.

Jasper rolled his eyes heavenwards and decided to speak to Edward later.

* * *

"Humans don't possess powers," Edward said patiently, reading his brother's thoughts the moment he approached the other.

"You weren't there," Jasper protested. "She somehow knew we were there. And are you forgetting about your own wife?" he asked pointedly, and Edward had the grace to look embarrassed.

"Point taken," he agreed, pausing a moment. "So, you want me to go with Carlisle next time and read her mind?" he realized, looking at his brother doubtfully.

"You'll be able to read it in her mind," the vampire argued firmly. "If she's got some kind of power, we need to know. Especially with these newborns…you know abilities increase once we're turned."

"Strategizing again?" Edward asked in amusement. "So, you want to know what her power is so if she's turned by those newborns, we'll be able to protect ourselves."

"What else?"

"Just wondering if you were jealous," his brother commented, and Jasper growled.

"I'm trying to make sure no one's making a big mistake."

* * *

"You have to drink something, you know," Embry reminded her, and she growled something through the bathroom door.

"I know enough that I'm dehydrated," she snapped as best she could through her porcelain prison. "I can't keep anything down anyway!"

Embry winced, but crossed his arms stubbornly. "I'll go pour some soda," he informed her, knowing that clear liquids were best and having bought Sprite a few days ago, luckily. He heard her mumble something, but ignored it. Anticipating another visit from Carlisle, the shifter only sighed in resignation when a knock was heard.

What _did_ surprise him was the sight of Edward behind his creator, looking a bit surprised himself.

"It will take a few days for the virus to work through her system. I wouldn't worry about dehydration, just keep her drinking fluids," Carlisle said, smoothly walking past the shifter and taking a seat. Edward followed, with a curt nod. Embry sighed audibly, and sat across from them.

"What's your interest?" he demanded, but the vampire only smiled.

"I was asked that by my son yesterday," he admitted. "I merely believe she's a special human."

"_How_?" Embry growled.

"Just in the fact that she senses our presence," Edward said quietly. He was met with a shocked stare, and nodded in confirmation. "I read her mind as we approached. She senses the presence of vampires. I don't know about shifters. Has she ever said anything?"

"She said something felt odd before Carlisle and Jasper came yesterday," Embry admitted. "But…what does that mean?" he demanded, leaning forward as the vampires hesitated.

"Human abilities are amplified unnaturally when we're turned," Edward said, repeating knowledge the shifter already knew. "If she can sense a vampire's presence as a human, imagine what she could do as one of us. A vampire radar, and possibly something more." He would have continued, but was cut off when Embry lunged at him. The vampire easily avoided his grasp and appeared beside the front door, calm as ever.

"You sick bastard!" the shifter growled, shaking in anger. Carlisle got to his feet in an instant, visibly startled.

"Embry! Calm down!" he ordered firmly. "Edward wasn't implying we were going to turn her! You should know better than that!"

"Then what _is_ he implying?"

"I'm saying that you need to think what will happen if you can't stop one of the newborns," Edward said patiently. "Would you want her to die? Or have one of us save her and turn her? You might not have a choice, if a newborn has enough sense to keep her alive long enough."

Carlisle rested a heavy hand on the young man's shoulder, having to reach up to make the contact. Embry winced at the ice-cold touch, but forced himself to take a deep breath.

"That'd be up to her. And not a word of it," he added warningly. To his surprise, both creatures bowed their heads amicably.

"Of course not. But it is why I wish to see her," Carlisle added. "The closer we are, the better chance you have to protect her."

"Your concern is touching," Embry began snidely, but froze when Haley made her way down the hall, still as pale and tired. "All done?" he asked without a trace of sarcasm, but she glared at him anyway.

"For the moment…are you Carlisle?" she asked, and the man inclined his head with a smile.

"I am. I'm sorry we weren't able to be introduced yesterday. This is my son, Edward," he added, and the other vampire smiled briefly at the young woman. She stared at both of them, not quite in awe but more like surprise.

"Pleased to meet you," she said after a split-second, and sank onto the couch with a slight groan. Exchanging a glance with Carlisle, Edward slipped out of the house as the older vampire took a seat next to the young woman. Embry made a noise in his throat, but took the other couch sulkily.

"How are you feeling? Besides the obvious," the doctor asked, switching to his professional mode and resting his hand on her forehead again. It was obvious relief to her fever-induced heat, and she sighed.

"Like crap."

"I assumed that much," he replied in amusement, a small smile appearing on his face. Embry watched the vampire suspiciously, but decided he wasn't a threat and stretched out with a yawn. If Jasper had been there, the shifter would have suspected tampering, but since he wasn't – the shifter couldn't smell him, at least – there was no reason to worry.

"Why are you here?" she asked suddenly, and Carlisle blinked.

"I'm a doctor, after all," he told her. "But we were worried about the newborns arriving, and wanted to speak to someone about them. It was impossible not to notice there were shifters here," he added dryly, "so we thought we'd stop in."

"I see," Haley remarked, and it was unclear whether she believed the vampire or not. She felt too sick to bother with it all anyway, and only leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes.

"If it comes down to a fight, you can rest assured I'll protect her as if she were my own," Carlisle assured the shifter several hours later. Haley had been put back to bed under doctor's orders, and the two creatures were out on the porch.

"Why?" Embry demanded. "You've just met her."

"I think she would have been the daughter I might have had, if I had remained human," the vampire mused, his eyes softening slightly. "My family is the most important thing to me. She is a precious, fragile mortal, though. She needs protection more than my family does right now, especially with her so sick."

"And?"

"She's so full of life, of energy," Carlisle told him. "We see them differently than you do. Much more than Bella, to be honest. Bella…she was never too fond of living, I think," he admitted with a frown. "Obsession, unfortunately. But your Imprint has a will to live that is quite startling. It has a lot to do with that nephew of hers – and a lot to do with you as well, Embry," he added with a smile.

The shifter turned red, but decided not to remark on the vampire's comment.

"So don't worry. I'm a doctor and a vampire – I hold a mortal life in the highest regard, especially one such as hers," he assured the young man, before disappearing from sight. Embry rolled his eyes at this blatant display of speed, but shrugged it off. He was pacified by the doctor's words – his respect for Carlisle outweighed most suspicion, and the knowledge Jasper wasn't messing with his mind helped as well.

Striding to the bedroom, he poked his head to check on his Imprint. She stirred a bit, hearing him, and looked up over the pile of blankets to smile dimly at him.

"Don't worry, I still like you best," she said teasingly, as he ambled towards the bed. He blinked in surprise, but she snorted. "Please. You were so jealous you couldn't even see straight."

"Was not!"

"Was too," she replied calmly. "Ice-cold is nice when I'm sick, but nothing beats a warm, furry bed partner," she added with a quiet laugh. He turned red again, but slipped in next to her.

"Glad to know I'm furry," he said in exasperation, but she giggled.

"You are," she assured him, a yawn escaping her before she slipped back into the complete sleep of the sick. Embry spent a long time merely watching her before he yawned as well and crossed his arms behind his head, stretched out as far as he could on the bed.

"Night," he said quietly, before closing his own eyes.


	7. The Bite

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Sorry for how long this has taken, I've had a lot going on with life and my other stories. But this is in rebellion to that crappy-looking _New Moon_ movie. Hope you all enjoy what unfolds.

* * *

"Embry!" a voice yelled, and the shifter woke up from his brief nap with a growl. Checking to make sure Haley was still sound asleep, he got to his feet and ambled down the hall. Seeing Seth and Jared there, both looking frazzled, he narrowed his eyes.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"Newborns. Not far from here. Jacob wants us all out," Seth told him.

"What about – "

"He wants to try to kill them before they reach our Imprints," Jared told him, having left Kim with Claire and Emily not long ago. "They're far enough away that we can tag 'em before they do any damage."

"All right," Embry agreed reluctantly. He didn't sense anything in the air, and it made sense to him after all. Rushing out the door with his packmates, he phased as they did and ran off into the trees.

* * *

"Something isn't right," Edward muttered, frowning to himself.

"What isn't?" Bella asked, looking up from the book she was studying.

"The pack's on the move. They're hunting more newborns that showed up in Forks," he told her, getting to his feet. He had picked up on the pack's communal mind by pure accident, but was glad he had. "But the vampires are concealing their whereabouts. I think one of the newborns has the ability to mask their scent."

"Oh no," she gasped, and looked around for her daughter.

"I need to tell Carlisle," her husband said, before disappearing from the room to search for his father.

* * *

"Hmm…Embry?" Haley mumbled, rolling over and finding her shifter gone. Shrugging the discovery off, she closed her eyes once more and burrowed farther into the covers, hiding her head in a pillow. There was absolute silence before the mattress shifted underneath someone's weight and an ice-cold hand was rested on her forehead.

Smiling slightly at the cold contact, she only opened her eyes a tiny bit. "Carlisle?" she guessed. The thought it would be someone else never occurred to her, much less the idea that she was in danger.

"Not quite," a male voice replied with a small chuckle. Her eyes shot open as the voice registered in her head and she tried to sit up, only to find herself restrained by a single hand.

"Daniel?" she managed, terror seeping into her voice. She stared at him – he was certainly a vampire. Everything suggested it, but she was at a loss as to what was going on.

"Yes, in the flesh. So to speak," he added, a grim smile gracing his deadly-beautiful features. "You thought I left for good? No, no, just had to take care of some business. And now I'm a vampire!"

"I can tell," Haley replied, relieved Jeremy wasn't in the house.

"Now, why don't I tell you why I became one?" he mused, almost to himself, before grinning down at her. "I think that should interest you. You see, there was a vampire that managed to escape your beloved dogs a few years when they attacked. And of course, they wanted revenge, so they started creating another vampire army."

"And you came in how?" she asked skeptically.

"Be quiet and I'll tell you," he informed her. "Now, that vampire also learned quite a lot, and knew there were such things as half-vampires in the world. Someone like that would be very valuable to them, so they managed to sneak into the vaults of the Volturi and peep into the records. They got lucky – there was a half-vampire that existed years ago, but they were killed."

Haley shifted slightly, but his hand pressed down on her skull and she winced at the pain.

"Stop that," he said absently, lost in his story. "They traced the lineage, and contacted me when they found out I happened to know the ancestor of said half-vampire. Now, you're no half-vampire," he laughed at this, "but you still have vampiric blood in your veins. You can sense us, you know."

"I…don't…" she whimpered.

"Ah, you know you do, so stop whining," the man growled. "So, I was supposed to bring you here so they could turn you and you could become a great weapon in our army! Didn't expect a damn mutt to Imprint on you," he added with a frown. "But, we have another comrade who can hide their scent, just as I can hide my presence. So, they lured the mutts away with a feint, while I slipped in to get you."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I'm going to turn you into a vampire, you stupid slut," Daniel said, his amusement wearing thin. "What did you think? Once you're a vampire, whatever abilities you have will rise to the surface and you'll be in our control."

"No!" Haley shrieked, tearing away from his surprised grasp and collapsing on the floor. Groaning at the effort of moving, she struggled to rise and gasped when he lifted her into the air by her hair.

"Now, that wasn't quite what you were supposed to do," he admonished her, bringing her closer to him so their noses were barely touching. "There's no use crying or whining, so just keep still and you'll survive," he finished. Bringing his fangs to her, he grazed the skin before smiling.

She whimpered at the touch, tears in her eyes from pain and fear.

"Too cliché," he muttered, and trailed his fangs to her collarbone. Brushing his lips against her skin lightly, he waited a split-second before tearing through her skin with his fangs. A shriek ripped from Haley at the pain, something at which he only smiled as her blood flowed into his mouth.

The moment only lasted a second, however, and Daniel was torn from Haley and flung through the wall in the next instant. She sank onto the floor, close to fainting, and whimpered when she felt another icy hand on her wound.

"It's Carlisle," the voice said soothingly, causing her to sigh in relief. Closing her eyes, she was spared the sight of Jasper dealing with Daniel with furious efficiency. The body was flung out of the window, left in a burning heap on the ground as the vampire returned to his father.

"He bit her," Jasper said flatly, using his powers to calm the poisoned woman. "Can we suck it from her, like Edward did for Bella?" he asked. Haley vaguely wondered what they were talking about, hearing their voices through a fog. Her heartbeat grew louder in her ears until it was deafening, and she cried out in agony.

"We have to try," Carlisle said in determination, deciding to do the deed himself. Jasper held the woman down as the other creature drew the poison from her blood, stopping himself with characteristic restraint and wiping his mouth clean.

"Is she clean?"

"No."

"_No_?" Jasper repeated incredulously, and started as the young woman let out a sigh before slipping entirely from consciousness.

"You heard Daniel as well as I," Carlisle said shortly, getting to his feet as Jasper held the woman gingerly. The doctor paced the room, as angry as he had ever been. The two vampires had raced for the Imprint as soon as Edward told Carlisle of the trap, and with their hearing had been able to catch the end of the late vampire's speech before bursting in on them.

"So…she's a vampire?" Jasper guessed, peering down at her peaceful face. He pressed the edge of a blanket against her wound, making a face at the sight of her blood, and hastily returned his attention to the doctor.

"I don't think so, she's still human," he growled, hands behind his back. "But I tasted it…the vampire blood in her. It's somehow been brought back to the surface, activated…I don't know. But she's not a half-vampire, and she's not a vampire."

"So, what is she?"

"I don't know," Carlisle admitted, sighing. "Alive, at least. And human. Unturned. But her powers were strengthened somehow."

"We have trouble," Jasper commented, just as Embry burst in with Jacob close behind. Seeing his Imprint in the vampire's arms, the young man phased again, destroying the door frame and surrounding wall.

"Calm down!" Jacob shouted, smacking his friend on the nose as Embry growled at the vampires. "Idiot! You saw the body, they didn't attack her!" he added, growling low in his throat at the wolf. The creature shook for a moment before slipping back into human form, panting from rage.

"What…happened?" he growled, barely able to speak.

"I will explain everything to the best of my ability. First, get some clothes on while I bandage her wound," Carlisle said, calmly taking control with his best bedside manner.

* * *

Not much time passed before the shifters were on the couch, a still-sleeping Haley wedged between them. Her state was probably due to Jasper's influence, who stood behind Carlisle's chair, but his expression gave nothing away.

"So…she's descended from a half-vampire?" Jacob asked carefully, Embry's jaw hanging open.

"Yes," Carlisle replied, nodding firmly. "She's not a vampire, Embry," he added for the shifter's benefit. "Her powers have been amplified as if they were a vampire's, though. I think."

"You were tricked," Jasper added over Carlisle's shoulder. "Edward picked up on your pack's minds and realized what was going on. There's a vampire out there that can hide their scent, or something like that."

"And the scent of others," the Alpha said grudgingly. "We ran right into the trap. There were only two we knew about – and suddenly there were about ten. It's a good thing Alice and Edward showed up. We have to thank them."

"No thanks needed," Carlisle assured him. "I told you we would fight with you. Jasper, I think it's best Haley woke up now," he added. "It's time for her to take her medicine anyway."

The vampire nodded, and the shifters could sense the subtle change in their surroundings as Jasper lifted his influence over Haley's mind slightly. She woke with a start and Embry quickly placed his arm around her.

"You're all right," he assured her, as she looked around with wide eyes.

"Did what I think happened, really happen?" she asked weakly. They all nodded and she groaned. "Oh…no…"

"How do you feel?" Carlisle asked suddenly, causing the woman to look at him in surprise.

"Fine, actually," she realized. "Not sick anymore…although I have splitting headache," she added ruefully, holding a hand to her head gingerly.

"I'm afraid that's our fault," Jasper said dryly, and she sighed as he caused the headache to recede. "I think your powers of location are causing you to pick us up rather strongly. You have to learn how to control it."

"Control what?" she asked.

"You could sense us before," Carlisle told her gently, trying to explain. "What Daniel said was correct. You're still human, Haley, but your preexisting power of sensing vampires has been amplified. Like a sixth sense awakened," he said.

"Wait…I'm a vampire?" she asked, horror evident in her voice. Jasper calmed her quickly, but she still shook slightly at the idea.

"No! You're human," Embry said firmly, his grip around her shoulders tightly slightly.

"I don't fully understand it either," the doctor admitted. "The best guess I can venture is that your sense was a result of being descended from a half-vampire, and having that blood in you. The poison in your system triggered those dormant genes, making your sense considerably stronger."

"I'm sorry," her shifter said suddenly, looking at her with a pleaded gaze. "We were tricked. I never would have left you alone if I thought anything was going to happen. I didn't even sense anyone around, and –"

"It's all right, Embry," she assured him, interrupting him and patting his knee comfortingly. "I know how he could mask himself. It's no one's fault." She paused, and looked back at Carlisle. "Are there any other side effects of all this?" she asked.

"Considering the fact that you no longer feel sick, it may be a safe guess you can heal faster than a normal human," the doctor said hesitantly. "I wouldn't go trying that out, though. Other than that, I have no idea. This is the first time anything like this has happened, to my knowledge."

"So, what now?" Jacob asked, arms resting across his broad chest. "I mean, they got half of what they wanted. Are they going to wait longer, or what?"

"If I was their leader, I'd strike now," Jasper informed them. "This is still a newborn though, however controlled it may be. It's unpredictable, and we don't know it's talent."

"Are we going to stay here?" Haley asked doubtfully, surveying the damage that had been caused, mostly by Embry's shifting. Carlisle shook his head, but Jacob spoke before the vampire.

"We have friends in the Paiute tribe in Burns," he said, and Embry blinked.

"In _Oregon_?"

"It's only a state over."

"I'm not leaving Jeremy," Haley interrupted stubbornly, and all the men in the room paused to look at her.

"Yes, you are," Carlisle said firmly, rushing on before she could yell at him. "It's for his own safety. Leave him in La Push where the shifters can protect him better than you can."

"They're shifters as well," the Alpha added. It was his turn to be stared at, causing him to shrug sheepishly. "What?"

"You never told us!" Embry said accusingly, but Jacob bristled.

"There wasn't any reason to! Sam knew a few years when they crossed over our territory while traveling, apparently. They're wolverines."

"Wolverines?"

* * *

"Don't make any X-Men jokes," Jacob warned them, as they drove down the highway in a Jeep loaned by Carlisle. 'Them' being the Alpha, Embry, Haley Seth, and surprisingly, Jasper. She was wedged between her shifter and the vampire in a rather uncomfortable position, but decided it was better than being shotgun next to a hyperactive Seth while Jacob drove.

"What's the fun in that?" Seth complained, twisting in his seat. "Want any?" he asked, waving a bag of chips in their general direction. They shook their heads, and he shrugged and turned back around.

"Unless you want to piss them all off, you'll just shut up," Jacob muttered, wishing Sam could have taken them. Nothing would pry the former Alpha from his baby girl, however, especially with newborns roaming the area. It was hard enough for Jacob to leave the pack for the time the trip would take.

"Why are we driving, anyway? We could all make it there quicker if we just ran," Seth pointed out, and blinked when several pairs of eyes stared at him. "What?"

"For one thing, I'd like to have some clothing with me," Haley pointed out dryly. She had thrown things in a suitcase in a rush, but it was better than having nothing but the clothes on her back. Jasper snorted, apparently at Seth.

"They'd be expecting that," he informed the shifter. "They won't think that we would actually take a vehicle, which is much slower and leaves us exposed to an easier attack. Or so they think," he amended, sensing Haley's uncomfortable shift of mood.

Seth's blank look caused Embry to roll his eyes, and the shifter wrapped an arm around his Imprint protectively before shifting in his seat to try to get some leg room. Being close to seven feet tall and cramped in the backseat of a Jeep was _not_ the place he would ever imagine himself to be in.

"So…we're setting ourselves up like a turkey on Thanksgiving Day why?" the youngest shifter finally asked, causing Jasper to groan. He hadn't _wanted_ to go, but Carlisle had all but ordered him to. His family and the pack could handle things in Forks, while Jasper was apparently needed to help guard some human woman he had met all of two times and really didn't care about.

But he was forced to agree with Carlisle. Despite being bitten, the girl still remained _human_. Wholly human, in appearance and mannerisms, something that intrigued Jasper. He had met many human beings, but one with such vivacity for life was beginning to draw his curiosity.

Embry noticed the vampire paying far too much attention to his Imprint at the moment and growled low in his throat, just loud enough that the vampire could pick it up, before looking away again. Jasper shrugged, briefly considered giving the wolf the urge to jump out of the Jeep and walk home, and turned to view the scenery on his own side.

* * *

"Can't thank you enough, Morgan," Jacob repeated, shaking the other man's hand firmly as Jasper stood nearby with Haley, looking slightly nervous as several of the wolverine shifters kept a close eye on him. The other pack leader snorts, waving a huge hand.

"Not a problem. We've been over this before," he reminded the younger shifter, casting a quick glance at the odd pair. All three shifters had vouched for Jasper and while the other pack was still wary of the vampire, they seemed willing to accept another shifter's word. "So, any game plan right now?" he continued.

"Not much, other than wipe the vermin out," the shifter admitted with a shrug, planning on dragging Embry back with him no matter how much the man whined. They had collectively decided - Embry excluded - that it would be too dangerous to have the shifter, with his overreactions, in a strange pack. "You're prepared for an attack, right?" he checked, but the other shifter merely snorted.

"Oh, please. We've been dealing with rogue hunters for years now. I think we're equipped," Morgan replied, giving the other leader a friendly push in the direction of the Jeep. "I suggest you leave with Embry before he rips someone's throat out, with that face," he added.

Jacob glanced back, only to see Seth apparently taunting Embry about how _he_ got to stay and Embry didn't, and groaned. "C'mon, cut it out. Embry, we've got to get going," he ordered, heading towards the Jeep and shifter both.

"Don't make me go!" the young man whined, gripping Haley's arm so tight Jasper was forced to weaken his determination merely to free her. "Please?"

"No chance. It'd be too dangerous," Jacob said shortly, grabbing his elbow. "C'mon, man, I need back you at La Push anyway." He locked eyes with Embry for a few minutes, clearly being challenged, but his friend backed down soon enough. "All right, enough," Jacob finally said, turning back to the car.

Embry held Haley close to him for a moment before leaning down and kissing her quickly, whispering, "I'll be back," before rushing towards the Jeep, deciding a quick separation would be better to handle. She remained waving as the vehicle tore down the road, Seth draping an arm across her shoulders with a wide grin across his face.

"Well, might as well show you where you're all staying," Morgan said, breaking the heavy silence with a grin. Not appearing much older than the shifters - although appearance was completely unreliable - he almost seemed as if he was enjoying the whole thing.

"After you," Haley replied with a small grin, feeling assured of her safety with Seth on one side of her and a sulking Jasper on the other.

_"I'm in hell,"_ the vampire groaned silently, wincing as several shifters walked passed him.


End file.
